Zen meditation - the 10 oxen or levels of consciousness
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Zen is of Buddhist origin and is also called 'the path of the lonely'. Averse to any orthodoxy, this teaching nevertheless differs fundamentally from the original teachings of Buddhism. Zen is so rooted in Japan that its societal, social and cultural influences are great. Zen as 'doctrine' stands above all for the lightning-like experience of enlightenment, coming home without having been away. Yet there is a growth process. The student can measure his "reach for satori" by certain levels of consciousness, also called the 10 oxen.
Contents
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Zen and Buddhism Zazen - sitting down to meditate The elusive koan Satori Insight The 10 oxen of zen
Zen and Buddhism
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Ch'an or Zen Buddhism originated in India. Tradition has it that Bodhidharma (c. 470-543 AD) introduced Ch'an Buddhism, a school of Mahayana Buddhism, to China. Strongly influenced by Taoism, the chan-current and related tai chi chuan arose. In the 12th century this philosophy spread to Japan, where it was called Zen Buddhism. Japanese Zen and Chinese chan are derived from dhyana
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11 minMain dishpeanut oil, tofu stir-fry cubes finely seasoned, stir fry sauce sweet and sour, thick noodles, carrot julienne, beetroot julienne, yellow bell pepper, watercress,rainbow salad with tofu -
45 minMain dishRed cabbage, mild olive oil, quinoa plus, forest outing, lemon, sesame oil, soy sauce less salt, Bio Today tahini white in pot, tap water,grilled red cabbage with quinoa salad -
30 minDessertBrie, Roquefort, port salut, gruyere, Camembert, walnut, garlic, thyme, honey, grape, baguette, Red onion, red grape, raisins, Red wine, Red wine vinegar, Brown sugar,generous cheese plate with onion marmalade -
30 minDessertFull Milk, whipped cream, macaroon, custard powder, vanilla sugar, sugar, protein, amaretto, almond liqueur, basic recipe cooking pears,macaroon pastry with casserole
Zazen - sitting meditating
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Zen uses three methods to achieve enlightenment: meditation (zazen), koan study and walking meditation (kinhin). In zazen, or sitting meditation, the student follows his own breathing
The elusive koan
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The koan, or word paradox, is elusive to the intellect and cannot be illuminated with concepts. It is the most mysterious. This forces the student to radically break with the way of thinking that is so common in everyday life. Using koans and similar dialogues, the Zen master measures how far the student has progressed on the "steep path", such as Zen
Satori
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Zen is Buddhist in origin and in fact a very intensive meditation school. Its purpose is that the student attains satori, or the sight of his own, true nature, among other things by 'breaking' the thinking and the world of concepts with koans. Rituals and religious books don't matter. They are even meaningless, according to the initiated, and distract from the true path. Zen focuses on instant insight, in a flash. Or the immediate experience of the reality behind the world of phenomena in which one lives. That road is called meditation
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5 minDrink without alcoholbananas, cool fresh apple-pear raspberry juice, Soy drink vanilla,soy fruit shake -
20 minMain dishsauerkraut, sticking potato, liquid baking product, half-to-half minced, Spice meatballs, pineapple, olive oil, liquid baking product,gratin sauerkraut dish with minced meat -
40 minMain dishlemongrass, fresh ginger, Red peppers, onions, tomato cubes, fresh cod fillet, coriander, oil, ground turmeric (koenjit), coconut milk, salt,fish in creamy coconut sauce -
15 minSide dishsweet potato, soft goat cheese, egg, spring / forest onion,stuffed sweet potato with egg
Insight
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Yet, also in Zen, there must be some kind of handrail along which it is easy to walk. Somehow the student's maturation process has to be measured. The story of the '10 oxen 'is such a method, expressing the spiritual understanding of Zen behind reason and concepts. In fact, they are levels of consciousness or development. Incidentally, there are different versions of this consciousness narrative in circulation. Following is the Zen master's interpretation
The 10 oxen of zen
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The '10 oxen 'is a series of images depicting the spiritual progression
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The '10 oxen 'is a series of images depicting the spiritual progress