Date: 03/09/2024 03/10/2024
Location: Star River Meditation Center
Teacher: Yunquan Huang
Sitting Meditation
The Core Meaning of Zen Inquiry
Zen inquiry is a meditative method that returns the mind to clarity through awareness and direct observation.
1. What Is Zen Inquiry?
Zen inquiry is a practice centered on awareness and insight, emphasizing direct experience rather than conceptual thinking.
Its essence is to “see the mind” clearly, remaining unentangled by thoughts and grounded in the present moment.
2. The True Core: Returning to the Mind
1.Turning inward instead of outward
Zen teaches that all experiences arise from the mind, and inquiry directs attention to this origin.
2.Not chasing thoughts, but observing them
Thoughts naturally arise and fade; inquiry helps you witness this process without attachment.
3.Not seeking mystical states, but awakening to the present moment
Zen upholds “the ordinary mind is the Way,” emphasizing clarity and realism in the here and now.
3. How Zen Inquiry Works
1.Using deep questioning to awaken awareness
Questions such as “Who am I?” or “Where does thought arise?” heighten alertness rather than seek logical answers.
2.Using mindfulness to illuminate inner experience
Mindfulness reveals emotions and thoughts as they unfold, without being swept away by them.
3.Using concentration to stabilize the mind
Concentration steadies awareness like a calm, undisturbed lake reflecting truthfully.
4. Transformations Brought by Zen Inquiry
1.Clearer understanding of mental patterns
2.Reduced emotional reactivity and suffering
3.Increased intuitive wisdom
4.Ability to remain calm amid external chaos
5.Direct insight into the pure and unobstructed nature of the mind
Conclusion
A Return to One’s True Self.
Zen inquiry is not merely a technique but a path of awakening.
It enables one to live with clarity, authenticity, and presence.
Whenever you turn inward and observe the mind clearly, the journey toward enlightenment has already begun.
