Meditation Zen

There once was a story about a group of monks who meditated every day hoping to attain a certain level of mind cultivation, and obtain inner peace.

One day, a zen master visited the temple and entered the meditation room where the group of monks sat in meditation. Silence is mandatory in the meditation room, thus talking is not allowed.

Soon, a gust of wind blew into the room and put out one of the candles. Then the monk sitting before the candle spoke 'Ah..The candlelight is put out.'
In dismay at the monk who broke the silence, another monk beside him said 'Hey, why did you break the silence?'
Then another monk heard them, and said 'Talking is not allowed here.'
The three monks all looked at one another in embarassment that they all talked and broke the rule.
Alas the fourth monk smiled, whispering 'Luckily I didn't talk.' The other monks all looked at him at once.

Then the Zen master, who kept silence all along, started brushing a brick in his hand against the table. All the monks were puzzled at the Zen Master's action, so one of them asked what is he trying to do?

The Zen Master replied calmly, 'May I ask what are you doing then?'

The monk proudly answered, 'We are meditating to attain inner peace.'

So the Zen Master spoke, 'I see. As for me, I am trying to polish this brick into a mirror.'

'My my, how can you turn a brick into a mirror? That's simply impossible!' The monk commented.

'Indeed, if so, how can you attain inner peace by merely sitting in meditation?' The Zen Master asked.

The group of monks started pondering at the question, and one of them initiated to ask, 'Then how can one attain inner peace?'

'You should start from the root.'

'What does the root mean?'

'The heart.' The Zen Master continued, 'You must understand that all disturbances and troubles of the mind stem solely from one's heart. All good and evil arise from the heart. And meditation is not defined by sitting or standing poses. Failing to understand this basic law, and choosing only to practice by superficial methods will only be a waste of time, just like rubbing a brick and hoping it to become a mirror.'

Hearing the Zen Master's advice, the group of monks finally understood the deep meaning of Zen Meditation and deeply expressed shame and remorse about their earlier ignorance.

From this simple story, one should understand that the foundation of meditation lies in the very heart and wisdom of the meditator. And meditation is not bound by specific poses. As long as one sees and understands the need to behold a clear mind, to detach from relentless frustrations and indulgences, meditation would have already occured. Be it during a bus ride, standing in the afternoon breeze, and even listening to a certain music, meditation can take form.

Thus is the wondrous nature of the mind as well as Zen, without a definite boundary, only revealing to those who truly seek to unravel the root of the mind through constant mindful observation and diligent cultivation.