Death – Page 6

Fresh! Unstained! A brand new year ahead of us!

January 1, 2011 By Atalwin Pilon 1 Comment

“Before you die, please live a little”. It is a quote from Hojo-san, the younger brother of my Dharma grandfather Maezumi Roshi and also a zen master. It is very good advice for the new year, I think. Sometimes we forget that our existence has created for us the opportunity to celebrate life. Yes, celebrate it! We have a brand new 2011 ahead of us, fresh and unstained. This is your chance, this is your moment! You are here on this planet, you are breathing, it’s an amazing miracle to be alive. And because a YouTube video says more than a thousand words:

Unmistaken Child

November 10, 2010 By Atalwin Pilon Leave a Comment

I really don’t know what to think of reincarnation. Intuitively I believe in it, rationally I can’t get my head around the idea. But I know that the rational mind is limited and I also know that my intuition hasn’t fully matured yet. I’ve had experiences in meditation that felt like glimpses of past lives but there is no way to proof that what I experienced was true. So I just don’t know.

I’m not the only one. The Buddhist concept of reincarnation, while both mysterious and enchanting, is hard for most westerners to grasp. That makes watching the documentary “Unmistaken Child” extra fascinating. The movie depicts the following of the four-year search for the reincarnation of Lama Konchog, a world-renowned Tibetan master who passed away in 2001 at age 84. The Dalai Lama charges the deceased monk’s devoted disciple, Tenzin Zopa (who had been in his service since the age of seven), to search for his master’s reincarnation.

The wounded healer

November 1, 2010 By Atalwin Pilon 2 Comments

Every now and then you meet somebody extraordinary. I met him in a park in Paris. I was in Paris for a week of zen training at l’Association Dana, the official name of the zen center of my teacher Genno roshi (which is actually just her house that she makes available for students and practice). After the sesshin of last week had finished, I had some time for myself to walk around the city. We met each other in Buttes Chaumont. After coming home in Amsterdam yesterday I decided to write about the fascinating story of my fellow follower of the Way M.

Before you die, please live a little

October 14, 2010 By Atalwin Pilon Leave a Comment

“Before you die, please live a little”. It is a quote from Hojo-san, the younger brother of my Dharma grandfather Maezumi Roshi and also a zen master. It is very good advice. Sometimes we forget that our existence has created for us the opportunity to celebrate life. Yes, celebrate it! This is your chance, this is your moment! You are here on this planet, you are breathing, it’s an amazing miracle to be alive. And because a YouTube video says more than a thousand words:

Are you ready to become a Warrior?