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The Bansenshukai, the primary ninja manual, begins with not one but two books about the importance of correct mind. The first book shares this excerpt from The Great Learning in Confucianism: If your mind is not present in the ‘here,’ you cannot see even if you…
In Tibetan Buddhism, the paramita dhyana can be practiced on three levels. The first level is called worldly concentration. (Some of us hear ‘worldly’ and have been trained to think ‘bad.’ If so, try calling it object meditation instead.) In worldly concentration, we practice meditating on something…
When you first begin meditating, it’s natural to feel like you need some “props.” You want to listen to a guided meditation. Or you need music to help you quiet your brain. Or incense to set the mood. None of these things are inherently bad. But…
When you’re traipsing around in the night, in an unknown and unfamiliar place, it’s important to know how to find your way back home. The ninja call this the art of not losing your way. The tactic is simple: when you’re infiltrating one of these places,…
The tricky part of relaxation is that we can’t really learn how to relax. We have to allow it. When we meditate, the first step is to breathe, but the second is to relax. Ideally, these two things happen together. They belong together, naturally. When we…
When we meditate regularly, strong emotions often come swirling in like a vortex, or a hurricane. What can meditation teach us about experiencing our emotions? Pema Chodron’s book, How to Meditate, has a wonderful section on this. She writes, “You have to get dirty with your…
Your staunch enemy is inattentiveness. -the Shinobi Hiden Scroll The Shinobi Hiden scroll is a 17th century ninja manual passed down and preserved by the legendary family of Hattori Hanzo. In the quote above, its brevity speaks volumes. Inattentiveness is the enemy. And it’s not…
Right now you have a good boat, fully equipped and available–hard to find. To free yourself and others from the sea of samsara, Day and night, constantly, Study, reflect and meditate–this is the practice of a bodhisattva. The verses above come from a 14th century Tibetan…
Meditation is not for you; it’s for others. It’s for everyone else who benefits from your awakened mind and calm state. Meditation is for the world, and for the benefit of the world. Yesterday I was speaking with my meditation teacher. I confessed that, of all…
In the 8th century Japan, the Shinto often used a phrase called “naka-ima.” It means “the middle of now.” Naka-ima describes not just the point in time you find yourself in, but the very center of that point in time. Not just now, but the middle of…
