שמונה-עשר קווים מנחים לחיים ערים
by M. Zohar
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"The Rose Apple Experience" presents the Way In, a way of being now and discovering life, each moment anew; it is a way of embracing and penetrating any life-situation in the present moment, a way of being meditation – simply being present in open awareness in the heart of the human condition.
Sitting or walking, breathing and listening, smiling or not, feeling angry or sad, thinking good or bad, wanting and trying and sometime arriving … – it is a way of meeting life's challenges, with no separation between life and meditation.
Being attentive to what-is as it is in the Now is a radical change of heart – it is a way of entering the heart of meditation in living joy, a way of discovering and appreciating the wonders of life, a way of being truly alive, being free to love.
The story of the Buddha-to-be’s Choiceless Meditation
One day, when Siddhartha was a child, he played with his friends, and after playing he sat down to rest in the shade of a Rose Apple tree. There, to his surprise, naturally and quite effortlessly, he experienced for the first time the peace and joy of meditation.
Many years later, after exhausting himself in ascetic discipline, meditative efforts and self-deprivation, Siddhartha suddenly remembered that innocent childhood experience under the Rose Apple tree, so joyous and peaceful, so wonderfully light and free. Therefore he let go of his misdirected practices, nourished his body and mind, and continued his meditation in a way that is gentle and kind, at ease with all that is – simply being present in open awareness, as love filled his heart and his life.
M. Zohar was a Buddhist monk for nine years. He has lived and learned in Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's community, and he currently teaches the Buddhist path in a non-dual approach. He leads retreats, hosts group encounters, and offers spiritual direction to individuals.