The Power of Thought

Changquing's Seeing Form, Seeing Sound

By: John Daido Loori Roshi

Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi

All societies have laws to prevent physical and verbal violence, but what about the violence we create with our thoughts? Daido Roshi states that our minds are incredibly powerful, and they create a force that shapes the reality around us. We can only bring peace and healing to ourselves and others if we first have peace in our minds. But we can't quiet the mind until we see how much time we spend talking to ourselves, and until we let go of our almost constant inner chatter. Roshi also discusses how meditation reveals how we use our minds and also provides a means to quiet our thoughts. It is possible to bring this quiet mind into our everyday activities, and to create nourishment for ourselves and the world we live in.

Zen Buddhism emphasizes zazen, or seated meditation, as the means to study the self and understand who we truly are. Dharma talks are an essential aspect of Zen training and take place in the context of zazen. Said to be "dark to the mind and radiant to the heart", a dharma talk is one of the ways in which a teacher points directly to the heart of the teachings of the Buddha. In our meditation practice, it is easy to get lost in self-doubt, fantasy, numbness, and emotional agitation. Dharma talks help to ground our practice, providing inspiration and an essential recognition of exactly where we find ourselves, so that we can learn to face difficulties and obstacles with a free and flexible mind. This talk was given at Zen Mountain Monastery or the Zen Center of New York City of the Mountains and Rivers Order of Zen Buddhism, founded in 1980 by the late American Zen Master John Daido Loori, Roshi (1931-2009).

©2006 Dharma Communications (P)2006 Dharma Communications

Good talk

I very much enjoyed listening to this Sharma talk given by the Roshi at the Zen Mountain Center. An inspirational talk on the mind.

Brilliant

This talk is brilliant. Succinct and spoken from a core of wisdom that is well honed and deeply enlightening. I've listened to this talk three times in the last week and have felt like I was awakened anew each time. I look forward to hearing more from this master teacher.