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Ryōkan — the Gentle Zen poet-monk

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Ryōkan  — the Gentle Zen poet-monk Ryōkan was a Japanese Zen monk, poet, and calligrapher born in 1758 in present-day Niigata, Japan. Born into a respected family, he was expected to take on social responsibilities, but from an early age he felt drawn toward solitude, contemplation, and spiritual life. As a young man, he left home and entered the Sōtō Zen tradition founded by Dōgen , studying under the Zen master Kokusen . After years of monastic training, Ryōkan chose a life of wandering and simplicity rather than religious status or temple leadership. He lived in small huts, begged for food, spent long periods in nature, and became known for his humility, kindness, and childlike spirit. Village children loved him because he played with them sincerely and without superiority. Ryōkan eventually settled in a small hermitage called Gogo-an, where he spent much of his later life writing poetry, practicing calligraphy, meditating, and living in poverty with remarkable contentment. His ...
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Haribansrai Bacchan poem

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हारना तब आवश्यक हो जाता है जब लड़ाई "अपनों" से हो ! और जीतना तब आवश्यक हो जाता है जब लड़ाई "अपने आप " से हो ! ! मंजिले मिले , ये तो मुकद्दर की बात है हम कोशिश ही न करे ये तो गलत बात है किसी ने बर्फ से पूछा कि, आप इतने ठंडे क्यूं हो ? बर्फ ने बडा अच्छा जवाब दिया :- " मेरा अतीत भी पानी; मेरा भविष्य भी पानी..." फिर गरमी किस बात पे रखूं । हरिवंशराय बच्चन
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Living in Two Worlds: What Aldous Huxley Meant by the “Amphibian Called Man”

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  Living in Two Worlds: What Aldous Huxley Meant by the “Amphibian Called Man” In the foreword to Jiddu Krishnamurti ’s work, Aldous Huxley drops a line that feels almost poetic—and a little puzzling at first: Man, the amphibian, lives in two worlds: the given and the word-represented. It’s one of those sentences that quietly opens a door. Step through it, and you begin to see how much of your life is lived not in reality, but in your idea of reality. The World as It Is Let’s start with the “given” world. This is the world before words get involved. The immediacy of experience: the warmth of sunlight on your skin the sound of rain hitting a window the raw sensation of anxiety in your chest the simple act of seeing a tree There is no interpretation here—just perception. No story, no label, no past or future. Just what is . Krishnamurti pointed to this constantly: the possibility of encountering life directly, without the interference of accumulated thought. The World...
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Happy anniversary

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  जब मैले तिम्रो हात समाई तिम्रो मंगल, सुख, खुसी र शान्ति को कामना गरेको थिएँ। मलाई यस्तो लागेको थियो, कसैले मलाइनै स्पर्श गरेर, मेरै मनमा मधुर भरोसा र सहस भरेको थियो। तिम्रा ती कोमल हातहरू, सधैंभरि श्रद्धा, प्रेम र समर्पणले चुमिरहन पाऊँ।
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Born to wonder

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म जन्मेको घाम, जुन, तारा, हिमाल र बादल हेर्नलाई । म जन्मेको धुलोमा खेल्न र पानीमा पखालिन लाई । स्वादको पारखी म , गुलियो, नुनिलो, पिरो, अमिलो चाख्न लाई । दुनिया र दिमाग मौरीझैं घुनघुनाई रहन्छन्, म जन्मेको चरा, हावा, झरना, र खोलालाई सुन्न लाई ।   I was born to behold the sun, the moon, the stars, mountains, and the drifting clouds. Born to play with dust and be washed by water. Born to savor life— sweet, salt, hot, and sour.  While the world and mind buzz like restless bees, I remind myself, I was also born to listen— to birdsong, to wind, to waterfalls, to the ancient speech of rivers.
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Always renewing, Always afresh.

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Life is often interrupted by the search for truth, for enlightenment, for ultimate realization imagined as single, complete, final. But only death holds such stillness. Life remains— raw, divided, scattered, unfinished and always evolving, always renewing, always afresh. It's not its flaw, But it's law.
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The "don't know" mind.

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The "don't know" mind What am I telling myself? What is this sensing inside? These words are empty, These feelings are empty. Go away, my elite minds—  Disappear. I surrender to the "don't know" mind.
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Only to hold

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  We carry winters in our bones. I am wounded by your wounds. I will hold your fragility— quietly, even if not perfectly. I have no haste to understand, nor to heal— only to hold, and make you feel safe, until you soften and melt.  
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Flower Sermon

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There are moments that arrive without announcement—quiet, unearned. Walking toward the library, nothing special was being sought. No insight, no resolution, no spiritual breakthrough. Just movement. And then I saw a tree in bud, another tree with fresh shoots. A new leaf in early spring. I touched it. Not an idea of renewal, natural cycles, not a metaphor yet— just softness under the fingertips. Something tender, alive, unguarded. Then the tulips, standing with their quiet dignity. And the agelia—its pattern revealing itself without effort: five petals, two apart, three closer, a subtle symmetry holding itself together. Patterns within the petals—so precise, yet so effortless. .  This was not to be understood. It was not given to be interpreted, analyzed, or turned into meaning. It asked for nothing except to be seen, touched, and allowed. The mind, so used to converting everything into language, into insight, into something “useful,” found itself unnecessary.  Becaus...
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How can I fix something that was never broken

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How can I fix it if it was never broken? You search for meaning— and call it a lack. You try to fix— and call yourself broken. You keep walking, striving— as if arrival were somewhere else. You keep searching— as if arrival were somewhere else. But deep within, There is something untouched— unbreakable, self-sufficient, eternal arrival, a quiet, radical presence that does not move, yet holds all movement. Let these small searches, these passing problems, not disturb that stillness. Life will rise and fall— as it must. So fail—beautifully. Break—beautifully. Be lost—beautifully. Let things pass without the urge to fix, to fill, to replace, to improve. A feeling comes— burns— and fades. They last but moments. What lingers is the thought that follows, the grasping that sustains it. Do not weave stories around fleeting storms.   The first pain arrives uninvited— The second is chosen, self-inflicted second dart - Buddha says.  So let it be. Let it pass. And rest— not in becomi...
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When seeker dissolves into stillness

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Many voices gathered around me— “Come this way,” one said, “No, this way,” another insisted, “Faster,” urged a third, “Don’t stop—run.” Paths multiplied, Urgency grew louder than my own breath, And somewhere along the way, I forgot the quiet rhythm within my chest. Then you arrived— Not with directions, Not with maps or promises, But with a softness I had long abandoned. “You must be tired,” you said, “Sit here… just for a while.” And in that simple permission, The roads dissolved, The noise loosened its grip, And for the first time— the seeker dissolved, And only the stillness remained.
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Satipaṭṭhāna and jhanas

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  Satipaṭṭhāna Meditation Guide  The Direct Path to Mindfulness and Liberation Introduction “This is the direct path for the purification of beings, for overcoming sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of pain and grief, for the attainment of the true path, and for the realization of Nibbāna.” Core Instruction: “Ekāyano ayaṁ maggo…” — This is the one and only way for the purification of beings. I. Contemplation of the Body ( Ānāpānasati / Kāyānupassanā ) Acknowledging the body as it is—impermanent, composite, and not-self. Philosophical Grounding The body is not a self but a composite of impersonal processes governed by impermanence ( anicca ), unsatisfactoriness ( dukkha ), and non-self ( anattā ). Mindfulness of the body cultivates grounded awareness and forms the base for deeper insight. Psychological angle: Anchoring attention to the body stabilizes the mind and develops interoceptive awareness. Meditation Instructions Mindfulness of Bre...
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Takeaways from 40 days Mindfulness Training with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield

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Module 1: MINDFUL BASICS A: ARRIVING IN PRESENCE: ( Arriving and Attitude) 1. Pausing to be present Mindfulness begins with a simple but powerful step: pausing to become present . In the rush and demands of modern life, many people live disconnected from themselves, constantly thinking about the past or future rather than experiencing the present moment where life actually unfolds. Just like Mr. Duffy in James Joyce's novel.  "Mr. Duffy lived a short distance from his body" . Are we being Mr. Duffy? Many turn to mindfulness seeking clarity, balance, and freedom from unhelpful habits. At its heart, mindfulness responds to a universal longing —to feel centered, authentic, and at home within ourselves. Research has shown that the mind wanders nearly half the time, and people tend to feel happier when they are fully engaged in the present.  A hospice worker who accompanied hundreds of people in their dying process said that one of the greatest regrets she heard expresse...
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My notes from MBSR

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9 attitudes of mindfulness. It is an active lifelong process. There is no enlightenment or a state of permanent wisdom. It is the gradual cultivation of the following attitudes.  Beginner's Mind Non-judging Non-striving: Not doing but being. Being with the unfolding of life moment to moment without having any agenda. Acceptance Letting go: (means letting be when evidence suggests they have already been), eg, Monkey traps itself by grasping the banana in a cage. It's just like our breath. If we do not release our breath, we cannot take the next breath. Trust: Just like we trust that our cells, organs, and systems take care of themselves. Why can't we trust our brains and hearts? Our brain trusts in letting go, so it sleeps. Patience: Things will unfold in their own time, and we cannot hurry. It's because we are never really present, anytime and anywhere. Gratitude: Generosity: It enhances interconnectedness.
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Goenka Vipassana (10 day course lecture notes)

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1. True Dhamma is a practical, experiential path of purification through self-observation. It is non-sectarian. True Dhamma is not about blind belief, intellectual understanding, or philosophical debate. It is about the direct experience of the mind-matter phenomenon within oneself. True dharma is what gives us peace when we bear it. It breaks the habit pattern of blind reaction (sankhāra) and gives one freedom from misery. Laboratory of the Body: Our own body is the laboratory for investigating the Dhamma. You don't need to believe in scriptures or a teacher. You can verify the truth for yourself by observing the interplay of sensations and your reactions to them within your own framework. The practice of Vipassana is the direct method to realize true Dhamma. It involves: Breathwork for concentration. Scanning the body: Systematically observing bodily sensations with equanimity. Developing Equanimity (Upekkhā) : The most crucial aspect. The goal is not to crave pleasant sensation...
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