The Third Patriarch of Zen
A reflection on the Third Patriarch of Zen and the transformative power of complete attention. What happens when thought grows quiet, separation falls away, and we discover that what we have been seeking has been waiting for us all along?
More than fourteen hundred years ago, a little-known Zen master known as the Third Chinese Patriarch left behind a short text that continues to illuminate the hearts of seekers today.
In this recording we explore the opening lines of the Xinxin Ming—Faith in Mind:
“The Great Way is not difficult for those who have no preferences. Make the slightest distinction, however, and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart.”
What did he mean by this? Was he suggesting that we should not care, not choose, not feel? Or was he pointing toward something far deeper—a way of meeting life before the mind divides reality into opposing camps?
Together we will explore one of the most beloved and enduring teachings in the Zen tradition, a teaching that invites us beyond separation and into a direct experience of wholeness, simplicity, and peace.
Please join me as we sit with the wisdom of the Third Chinese Patriarch and listen for what remains when the mind grows quiet.
Nigel Lott teaandzen.org
Meditation Sans Frontieres 501 (C) 3 Non Profit Registered Charity TAX EIN 81-3411835
May the work offered here serve peace, serve healing, serve remembrance, and serve the quiet dignity of being alive. May this sanctuary belong not to one person alone, but to the field of life itself.
And may all who encounter it feel, even for a moment, that nothing is missing and they are not alone.
Daily Meditation 1000 PST everyday from wherever you are: heart to heart.
TEA AND ZEN
TEA AND ZEN
