When I was nineteen, I went to live in a Ch’an (Chinese Zen) Buddhist monastery, hoping to become a monk. Let yourself sit upright with the quiet dignity of a king or a queen. If we are all one, nobody will be truly free until we all are (even though — wink, wink — we already are free now). Jaimal Yogis is author of Saltwater Buddha, The Fear Project, and the forthcoming memoir, All Our Waves Are Water, and the picture book Mop Rides the Waves of Life. Going back to Yasutani’s metaphor, when this oceanic perspective — the view of an enlightened being — is lived from, the wave is still a wave with it own direction, uniqueness. Have a respite from the pace of daily life, Feel and experience the truth of “the way things are” for yourself, Learn loving-kindness and compassion for yourself and others, Understand and learn how to practice forgiveness. But first: who are “we”? Like the ebb and flow of the ocean, the flow of breath provides a natural grounding for focusing on the present moment. It thrives on practice and a kind and spacious heart. That’s one conception of death: the wave returns to the ocean, where it came from, and where it’s supposed to be.” ~ Chidi The Good Place. Menu and widgets. 2. Can you lend your support to Lion’s Roar at this critical time? Close your eyes gently and begin by bringing a full, present attention to whatever you feel within you and around you. All of which brings us to the most important distinction in the Mahayana – the bodhisattva. Whenever you notice you have been carried away for a time, acknowledge the wave that has done so by softly giving it a name such as “planning,” “remembering,” “itching,” “restlessness.” Then let it pass and gently return to the breath. Warning: spoilers for the entire series below. But they have the same goal and offer us helpful ways to navigate life’s wild seas. The Buddha’s primary teaching on self seemed to be breaking from our fixed, views of self and other so we embrace the fluid, changing nature of reality. Duke Kahanamoku (1890-1968) not only helped popularize surfing, but modeled the lifeguard’s ideal of selflessness as well. Over the past month, over 400,000 readers like you have visited our site, reading almost a million pages and streaming over 120,000 hours of video teachings. The wave also has nothing but love for all waves – from ripples to tsunamis – because all waves are part of its body. There are infinite Buddhist paths and tools that can be sorted into three major schools or “vehicles:” Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. 23 – 29), The Beauty and Majesty of Myanmar Photographed by Matt Dutile, Photo du Jour: A Captivating Portrait of Young Boys at a Novitiation Ceremony in Myanmar. The wave also has nothing but love for all waves – from ripples to tsunamis – because all waves are part of its body. I walked home that afternoon thinking about the impending anniversary of the due date for the child whom I’d lost to miscarriage one year before. Can you help us? Topics: Hawaii, Pan-Buddhist, Practice in Everyday Life, Sports & Activity, Teachings, Theravada & Insight, Zen, We’re glad to have you here. Nearly every lifeguard on the north shore of Oahu is at least as good, sometimes better, than the professional surfers. Let your mind be spacious and your heart be kind and soft. The Mahayana does this by elaborating, in countless ways, on Buddha’s first words after attaining full enlightenment: “wonder of wonders! At some point, we joyfully realize that our unobstructed awareness of this very moment is our freedom. He referred to his teachings as being like a raft to cross the river of suffering; it’s a tool that we can let go of once we get to the other side, but in the meantime, we won’t get there without it. Becoming a Buddha in this context means going so deep into the fundamental nature of mind in meditation that we experience ourselves – seemingly separate waves with firm boundaries – as what we actually are – the entire ocean. Feature Shoot Recommends: Top 10 Photo Events and Happenings in New York (Mar. All of those angry deities we see in classic Buddhist art, or the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in amorous embrace with their consorts, are meant to remind practitioners that all of life’s waves — from peaceful to wrathful to lustful — are part of the same sea, all buddha-nature.