Category: philosophical counseling
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Self-emptying Or Self-improvement?
In Philippians 2:7, we read that Jesus “made himself nothing” (NIV). Kenosis suggests the emptying of self-will to the point at which one is nothing but a vessel for the divine will. My will be Thine; Thy will be mine. This is the heart of meditation: it is the very emptying out of the self…
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Right Now, You Are The Man Hiding From The Bandits
Chan master Yeng Shen concludes one of his Dharma talks with this potent story: In one of the sutras, the Buddha tells a story about a man who was being chased by four bandits who wanted his belongings and his life. As he was running, he came across a well and thought it would be…
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The Perils Of States, Stages, And Stations
Zen and Chan (Chinese Zen) often have little to say about states, stages, and stations along the path–and for good reason. Concerning the huatou, Chan master Sheng Zen writes, [T]here are three stages in the development and resolution of the Chan doubt: first, giving rise to the doubt sensation; second, generating the great doubt mass;…
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Intellectual Bypass
You’ve no doubt heard of spiritual bypass. Someone uses spirituality to go around his psychological baggage. The result is that the one so bypassing continues to “act out” his shit despite having attained greater states of consciousness. My Zen teacher recently pointed out that in addition to spiritual bypass, there is also psychological bypass. In…
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Great Faith And Humble Openness, Not Modern Doubt Point The Way Ahead
At a Chan retreat, Chan master Sheng Yen says, But then again, some people may soon enough have doubts. The first day, they may listen and think, “Yes, I agree,” and tomorrow, they will say, “Prove it to me. Why does Dharma say this? Doesn’t Buddhadharma say this and that?” This habit is also a…
Andrew Taggart, Ph.D. 