Stone Meditation

The Stone Mind Hogen, a Chinese Zen teacher, lived alone in a small temple in the country. One day four traveling monks appeared and asked if they might make a fire in his yard to warm themselves. While they were building the fire, Hogen heard them arguing about subjectivity and objectivity. He joined them and said: “There is a big stone. Do you consider it to be inside or outside your mind?” One of the monks replied: “From the Buddhist viewpoint everything is an objectification of mind, so I would say that the stone is inside my mind.” “Your head must feel very heavy,” observed Hogen, “if you are carrying around a stone like that in your mind.”

© Text quote from ... The Zen Frog ...


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


We waste lifetimes looking for happiness.
Happiness is not something
that we can find under a rock !


©　Tsunyota Kohe't


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Meditation on a Stone

This meditation may be performed as a way of perceiving the Divine within the physical universe or simply as a way of appreciating nature. In Jewish mystical tradition, stones are referred to as “domemim” or “silent beings” and are manifestations of the world of the earth, which is the world of the Shekhinah. Stones have wisdom to teach us. They represent eternal knowing and remembering: the high priest wore twelve stones on a breastplate to remind the Holy One of the twelve tribes, and we place stones on a gravesite in memory of the deceased.

The unhewn stones of the altar in the Temple were a resting-place for the Divine Presence, and in Genesis the Holy One is referred to as Even Yisrael, the stone of Israel. Jacob, by lying with his head on a stone, dreamed of the gateway to heaven. Humans have a special bond with stones, for it is written in the book of Job:
“Your covenant shall be with the stones of the field.”

Note that in Jewish tradition HaMakom, “the place,” is a name for the Divine.

©　Tel Shemesh ... with MORE details !


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



Menschenseele!
Du lebest in den Gliedern,
Die dich durch die Raumeswelt
In das Geistesmeereswesen tragen:

Übe Geist-Erinnern
In Seelentiefen,
Wo in waltendem
Weltenschöpfer-Sein
Das eigne Ich
Im Gottes-Ich
Erweset;

Und du wirst wahrhaft leben
Im Menschen-Welten-Wesen.

© Rudolf Steiner
Der Grundstein


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



MORE about Stone Meditation



Read my Haiku Archives 2007

More of my STONE haiku !





:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::