Daily Zen : clothing , splendour and seat of tathagatha

The splendor of the tathagata
Is the compassion that dwells
At the center of all minds. 

The clothing of the tathagata
Is the gentleness and patience
That dwell in every mind. 

The seat of the tathagata
Is the emptiness of all phenomena.

- Lotus Sutra

2 Doors to Dharma

The dharma of one mind has two doors.
What are those two?
The first is the door of the tathagata
And the second is the door of
Phenomenal change.
Together these two doors are
The summation of all dharmas.

- Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana

Obstacles in Training Zen

Within the Way there are no obstacles at all, not even a pinpoint of obstruction. 

There are, however, obstacles in training. 

These are all self-created and due to the grasping nature of our practice. 

The coarse obstacles we create are doubt, fear, and taking the Way to exist objectively. 

The more subtle are the concepts of attainment and various levels. 

The Way avoids nothing at all, so we may be grateful even for obstacles. 

Apart from obstacles, there is no training.

- Anon

Daily Zen 21.Feb.2012

Zen-sitting has nothing to do with the doctrine of "teaching, practice, and elucidation" or with the exercise of "commandments, contemplation, and wisdom." 
You are like a fish with no particular design of remaining in the sea. Nor do you bother with sutras or ideas. 
To control and pacify the mind is the concern of lessor men. 
Still less can you hold an idea of Buddha and Dharma. 
 If you attempt to do so, if you train improperly, you are like one who, intending to voyage west, moves east. 
You must not stray. 

- Meiho (1277�1350)

(Daily Zen) Training for manifestation

To train in the fullest sense of the word, one needs an awareness of the impermanence of all phenomena, including our own lives, 

and an eye that isn't blind to cause and effect;

 emotionally speaking, great compassion and courage on behalf of all beings; 

practically speaking, a firm faith in the Way and a firm resolve to actualize the Way through practice. 

 If there is even a speck of any one of these present when beginning to train, that is enough.

All will then become manifest through practice.

- Anon

Watching U @ ur very worst

When you can listen to your thoughts
without becoming lost in what you hear;
 
when you can hear them
without adding or subtracting,
without editing; 

when you can remember the
very worst without cringing,
without even an eye blink of the mind,
it's then your life will turn.

- Journeys on Mind Mountain