V2C3S2_Dwelling on the side benefit of your meditation is ill, not Zen

Monk Boshan’s Advice for Investigating Zen

Lesson 0 - Monk Boshan - A brief introduction

Monk Boshan - A brief introduction (14:01)

Lesson 1 - Right view:   A firm determination to uncover the nature of self

V1C1S1 Vow to have a firm determination to break through the arising-ceasing mind (i.e. the loop of duality) (29:45)
V1C1S3 Stick the word “death” on your forehead (10:21)

Lesson 2 - Right view:  Doubt to enlightenment

V1C1S2 The essential point is to generate the doubt sensation (15:57)

Lesson 3 - Right View:  Doubt on your mind movements

V1C1S21 The worst, most misleading words (for investigating Zen) (10:49)
V1C1S28 Until there is nowhere to use your mind (4:51)

Lesson 4 - Difficulties/mistakes:  I don’t know how to do it….  I know, but…

V1C1S27 Working on this “don’t-know-how-to-work (you)”! (9:03)
V1C1S35 Keep working even when you don’t know how to do it (14:34)

Lesson 5 - Difficulties/mistakes:  Engaging in or attached to “other thoughts”

V1C1S5 You should not engage in the worldly concerns (8:33)
V1C1S14 You should not even get involved in Buddha Dharma for a little (15:37)
V1C1S26 You should not attach to any other thoughts for a little (5:05)
V1C1S9 Like a cat wanting to capture a rat (11:33)

Lesson 6 - Right View:  Eagerness   & Difficulties/mistakes:  Being slack, unaware, drowsy...

V1C1S18 Eagerness is the most powerful word (12:39)
V1C1S7 Why worry about not being alive (i.e. being unaware)? (6:22)

Lesson 7.1 - Right View:  Reaching the meditative level “the huatou emerges in front of you”

V1C1S22 How would you go blank when (you reach the meditative level) “the huatou emerges in front of you”? (10:19)
V1C1S19 The huatou emerges in front of you (5:12)
V1C1S6 Stir up the world (11:19)

Lesson 7.2 - Right View: Reaching the meditative level “the huatou emerges in front of you”

V1C1S37 You only know that you haven’t broken through the doubt sensation (13:34)
V1C1S34 The place where the mind can go is perished (13:34)

Lesson 8.1 - Difficulties/mistakes: The intellectual mind

V1C1S29 The clever mind is the food-to-avoid (10:10)
V1C1S15 Taking notes and memorizing words obstructs your Zen practice (3:21)
V1C1S20 The most worrisome thing is writing poems and articles (11:13)
V2C2S1 The intellectual mind makes you unable to generate the doubt sensation (18:57)

Lesson 8.2 - Difficulties/mistakes: The intellectual mind

V1C1S45 You should not use your intellectual mind to surmise (4:01)
V1C1S11 Should not surmise koans wantonly (6:17)
V2C2S5 Drawing far-fetched analogies on gongans makes you unable to generate the doubt sensation (25:18)

Lesson 8.3 - Difficulties/mistakes: The intellectual mind

V2C3S7 Intellectual or conceptual realization (about the nature of self) is ill, not Zen (40:41)

Lesson 8.4 - Difficulties/mistakes: The intellectual mind

V2C3S10 Intertwining the major and the minor is ill, not Zen (33:42)

Lesson 9.1 - Right View:  Investigating Zen until you have no doubt

V1C1S12 Investigating Zen by yourself until you have no doubt! (26:21)

Lesson 9.2 - Right View:  Investigating Zen until you have no doubt

V1C1S48 Not a matter of chanting gongans (35:32)
V1C1S36 Use your mind on only one gongan (5:35)
V1C1S42 Investigate (Zen) stubbornly and rigidly (7:09)

Lesson 10 - Right View:  Get progress

V1C1S10 Practice a day, progress a day (4:22)
V1C1S50 Add eagerness on top of eagerness (7:31)
V1C1S23 Add more doubt on top of your doubt (7:38)

Lesson 11.1 - Right view:  Be tight, be right, be impermeable, and be able to fuse (with the world)

V1C1S25 Be tight, be right, be impermeable, and be able to fuse (with the world) (20:49)

Lesson 11.2 - Right view:  Be tight, be right, be impermeable, and be able to fuse (with the world)

V1C1S44 It should not be like striking stones for the glint (4:44)
V1C1S40 One dares not slack off, morning or night (6:15)
V1C1S38 Like one man fighting against ten thousands enemies (5:03)

Lesson 12 - Difficulties/mistakes:  Losing the right view

V1C1S49 Never lose the right view for a moment (11:26)

Lesson 13.1 - Difficulties/mistakes:  The state of quietude

V1C1S4 The most worrisome thing is dwelling in the state of quietude (9:08)
V2C2S2 Fear of movements makes you unable to generate the doubt sensation (10:16)

Lesson 13.2 - Difficulties/mistakes:  The state of quietude

V2C2S10 Seeking quiet and private quarters makes you unable to generate the doubt sensation- Part 1 of 2 (7:14)
V2C2S10 Seeking quiet and private quarters makes you unable to generate the doubt sensation - Part 2 of 2 (4:35)

Lesson 14.1 - Difficulties/mistakes:  Lightness and ease

V1C1S41_Do not mistake the lightness and ease for Enlightenment (9:17)
Zen Term_Picking willow flowers (6:46)
V1C1S41_Do not mistake the lightness and ease for Enlightenment (10:35)
V2C3S5_Letting go of your body [of meditation] is ill, not Zen (13:17)

Lesson 14.2 Difficulties/mistakes: Lightness and ease

V2C3S2_Dwelling on the side benefit of your meditation is ill, not Zen (11:51)

Lesson 14.3 Difficulties/mistakes:  Lightness and ease

V2C3S5 Letting go of your body [of meditation] is ill, not Zen (13:17)

Lesson 16 - Difficulties/mistakes:  Suppressing your thoughts

V2C2S3 - Suppressing your perceiving and thinking mind makes you unable to generate the doubt sensation (18:11)

Lesson 17 - Difficulties/mistakes: Visualizing or contemplating your body as the empty voids

V2C2S4 - Emptying everything makes you unable to generate the doubt sensation (14:39)

Lesson 22.1 - Difficulty/mistake:  Mistaking Zen meditation as requiring no work . Loafing around

V1C1S17 Never believe that you do not need to investigating the Way (34:58)

Lesson 22.2 - Difficulty/mistake:  Mistaking Zen meditation as requiring no work . Loafing around

V1C1S46 Never acknowledge what you raise up (28:55)
V1C1S47 Never ask others to blurt out (the self nature) (4:45)
V2C2S9 Loafing around and seeking for playful diversions makes you unable to generate the doubt sensation (7:34)

Lesson 22.3 - Mistaking Zen meditation as requiring no work loafing around

V2C2S39 Loafing around and seeking for playful diversions makes you unable to generate the doubt sensation (30:40)

V2C3S2_Dwelling on the side benefit of your meditation is ill, not Zen

Lesson content locked

If you're already enrolled, you'll need to login.

Enroll in Course to Unlock