The Whole Heart of Zen

Zen Body: The life of a Zen Cultivator revolves around the refinement of both mind and consciousness. All activity, no matter how mundane in appearance, is an opportunity to glimpse the Original Nature. To live a contemplative lifestyle supports the formal practice of refining the mind and consciousness.

Zen Hand: Masters in the Zen tradition will recite various cantos from Ta-Mo's sermons as a teaching technique. The idea of a "secret" oral transmission of knowledge begins, first, as a private teaching in which the Master adjusts and alters the meditative or devotional Zen technique to fit the gifts and deficits of the individual student. The implication for the student is one of profound intimacy with the Master, the method and the verse itself.
Also implied is the notion that each student will take something away from the recitation of the sermon that is unique to them and their needs at the moment.

Zen Heart: The unlimited nature of "mind" without boundaries or limits refers both to the many ways in which consciousness is employed in Zen and the many levels of consciousness experienced and refined by the Cultivator. More specifically, it is a Zen core belief that the phenomenon of consciousness, as well as its expression through the bodymind, is unlimited. Even though the awakened beings of the Indian Buddhist past formulated a new view of consciousness, an enlightened Ta-Mo felt it necessary to put their theories to the test. Driven in part by his missionary zeal and association with the Buddhist University Nalanda in northern India, Ta-Mo sought to penetrate the "act and process of knowing." His own practice gave rise to an even more expansive and sophisticated view of consciousness. His arrival in China continued to shape his approach as he was exposed to its art and culture, Taoist philosophy, and ancient Chinese methods of spiritual cultivation. The resulting theories of the mind, consciousness, subconscious, and dynamic thought became the foundations of Zen Buddhist psychology.

Zen Mind: This sermon lays out the specific method of mind-to-mind teaching that forms the core of the Zen Buddhist pedagogy. The foundation of this technique (see Canto IX in the "Sermon on the Ten Perfections' begins with a teaching method that can best be described as telepathic instruction. The student is expected to absorb the correct mode of being from the other members of his Buddhist community through a process of spiritual osmosis. Specific meditative and devotional techniques, however, are taught in verbal one-on-one sessions between the Zen student and his Master.
This method of transmitting the Dharma has its roots in ancient Chinese and Indian philosophy and is a direct result of wisdom gained by awakened beings of that distant past. Once awakened, these beings directly experienced the true unity of the inside and outside worlds of normal perception. To them, the notion of the subjective and objective was fundamentally changed.
Thinking and behaving from this new ground of awareness gave rise to a unique view of consciousness.
Likewise, the methods that grew out of this new mode of consciousness have properties that are unique to it. In every sense, it is a special transmission.

Ten Body: The notion that all we do and encounter is merely a reflection of our mind and consciousness can radically alter the way we approach life. A Cultivator of the Zen Way examines each and every facet of his life from this perspective.

Zen Hand: Zen Masters precisely employ a wide range of physical movement and gesture to gain access to the bodymind of the student. Likewise, Zen students use physical movement to gain greater access to themselves. These kinds of Zen physical gestures and movements rely on a combination of a specific physical posture (li), a specific function of mind and will (i), and a specific configuration of life-force energy (qi). When each of these three factors is precisely balanced against the others, Zen Cultivators call it the Mother's Supreme Order. Under the influence of the Order, a Zen Master can employ coordinated actions of body movement, breath, imagination, energy, and intent to directly impact the mind and consciousness of the student. Since those actions are component parts of mind-- and if the student is able to view the coordinated actions contemplatively-then the student will experience the Master teaching his
mind directly.

Zen Heart: The Zen concept of mind is a refocusing of the concept of mind as expressed by the historic Buddha. Ta-Mo belonged to a lineage of Indian Buddhists that sought to return to this point of view.
Unfortunately, this put Ta-Mo at odds with many of the Contemporary Buddhists of his time. With regard to the mind and its workings, Zen emphasizes a keep it simple approach that reflects the Buddha's original spiritual
message.

Zen Mind: The Zen concept of mind is an expansive one. Mind is distinct from consciousness and begins with the premise that the mind and body form a natural unity.
Conventional discourse commonly refers to a mind-body split and the need to join the mind to the body in order to enhance the experience of life. To the Zen Buddhist, however, the notion of a split that must be rectified is nonsense. (Hence, my frequent use of the neologism
"bodymind.")
To a Cultivator of the Zen Way, all is mind. This includes all physical movements, sensations, feelings, thoughts, impulses, mental and physical reactions, memories, intent, emotions, and will. The fingers do not move over the piano keys, for example; only the mind moves. The question is one of primacy. That is, which component part of mind is exerting the most influence over the human organism at any given point in space and time. Consciousness, on the other hand, is the backdrop against which these parts shift, move, and vie for top billing. The consciousness is also the motive energy of the mind. This energy can be sensed and experienced by utilizing one or more of the component parts of the bodymind as an object of mediation. Mind, n this context, is the complete experience of the bodymind components as a total gestalt. To explore consciousness is to explore the energetic glue that holds mind together.

Zen Body: Exploring the consciousness through the use of Zen curiosity is traditionally viewed as a Zen aid or crutch. Employing this curiosity during formal and informal practice will not reveal the Buddha Mind but will outline it, so to speak. It's as if you come to understand the motion and nature of an invisible powerboat by examining the wake it leaves on the lake's surface. Invariably, you begin to perceive things normally missed altogether. No matter how much wisdom and insight is produced by this approach, it is important to maintain a sense of your ultimate ignorance.
One way to bring the wisdom of insecurity to your everyday life is to eliminate as many verbal pronouncements of certitude as possible. For example, if you would normally say something like, "Classical music is better than rock and roll," change your response to reflect on attitude that is less definitive and omniscient. After all, only someone who has heard all classical and rock music and possesses a method of determining a scientific state of "better-ness," could make such a pronouncement. Your statement might then become, " think classical music is better than rock and roll." This would make the statement self-referential, i.e. it tells us more about the person making the statement than it does about music.
A statement that fully embraces Zen doubt would be,
"At my current level of ignorance and understanding, I seem to enjoy classical music better than rock and roll.
But, I wonder....." Statements of this kind leave the door open for new information, ideas, and feelings about music. Of course, merely talking this way won't accomplish much. But if you manage your daily affairs from this perspective, it will alter your life dramatically.
Simply put, employing a sense of Zen doubt and curiosity in your everyday life leaves room for personal growth and expansion engendered by your intuition.

Zen Hand: The use of the questioning tone has many uses in Zen training. All of them, however, seek to expose the intimate details and intricate workings of the consciousness. This should not be confused with conventional intellectual investigation. The Zen student attempts to maintain a sense of questioning or doubt without succumbing to the need to have his doubt resolved. Zen Cultivators often refer to this as the
"wisdom of insecurity." The goal is never to resolve the doubt or answer the question, but to bathe in the energy and spirit of the inquiry. It is this energy and spirit of inquiry that eventually leads to a complete experience of the Buddha Mind. Historically, after Ta-Mo, the intuitive puzzles known as kung-an, or cases (koan in Japanese), became institutionalized techniques for controlling the quality, depth, and direction of the inquiry. This represented a divergence from the original Zen method that employs doubt in a light-handed manner as a means of naturally stabilizing practice.

Zen Heart: The Zen Way is one of intuitive investigation into the totality of the self. It relies on a state of openness and innocence where the wisdom of the deep inner self can move to the surface and make itself known. This state of openness and innocence is a prerequisite to authenticity.

Zen Mind: During the oral recitation of this canto, the Zen Master forcefully puts the questions to his audience.
The students in attendance sit silently with the question for several moments. When the Master feels that the time is right, he answers each of his own questions with a resounding, "Mind!" In practice, the questions are not answered. The tone of questioning, however, is of central importance and is an example of mind-to-mind teaching.
The verbal interrogative tone generates and supports the Zen mental perspective. Specifically, this is a perspective of continuous curiosity, wonderment, and exploration that directs our human interest. This interest can be omnidirectional like a streetlamp, generally focused like a searchlight or finely focused like a laser. The questioning tone makes room for the intuition to speak to us.

Zen Body: Living a life filled with mindful activity is considered informal Zen practice. Essentially, normal activity- the more mundane the better- is performed while practicing Tathagata Zen. The activity itself is performed deliberately and without a sense of haste. Completing the task is not the goal. Filling the bodymind with a dynamic balance of Tathagata Zen and the task itself is the goal.
Each part of the task should be infused with as much mindfulness and equanimity as possible. As soon as distractions arise, the student labels it as "thinking" and gently brings the bodymind back to the activity.

Zen Hand: Mindfulness training in the Zen tradition usually takes place during the initial stages of Tathagata Zen practice. (See page 44.) According to oral tradition, Ta-Mo employed breathing as the meditative object when first teaching mindfulness.

Zen Heart: Mindfulness is a fundamental Zen attribute.
Experiencing the gradual evolution of mindfulness is also central to the practice of Zen. It should be noted that it is possible for a dedicated student under the guidance of a skilled Master to encounter sudden awakening at any point along the journey of mindfulness. Once awakened, the student's depth of mindfulness becomes essential in managing and maintaining the awakened state. Simply put, a higher degree of mindfulness helps insure the clarity and longevity of the awakened state.
Understanding the evolving process of mindfulness can better be understood by the following example. The expansive nature of mind in Zen allows for a wide variety of objects and ideas that can be employed in meditation. When, as a Zen Meditator, you rest void focus upon an object of contemplation--a rose, for example-a lot of non-rose "stuff" floats in and out of your field of awareness and attention. This activity includes thoughts, feelings, ideas, and sensations that hove absolutely nothing to do with the rose. Zen Buddhists refer to this activity as "mental contents." Mental contents, in this case, may involve the experience of your last meal, the discomfort of your clothing, thoughts of obligations, future plans, or even bad news received earlier in the day.
As you look at the rose, attempting to be as aware of it as possible, these and other mental contents present themselves for your attention. As you move from a state of less mindful awareness to ever-increasing levels of greater mindful awareness of the rose, you begin to be less and less aware of the non-rose mental contents. It's not that the non-rose stuff isn't making it into your conscious field, because it is; you are simply not as distracted by it. Your focus comes to rest more peacefully upon the rose, and the potential for distraction by the hon-rose mental contents begins to decline. As you become more mindfully aware of the rose, it begins to take precedence in your awareness over non-rose mental contents. Your awareness of the rose begins to increase. As your awareness of the rose increases, you will begin to feel as if the rose is filling up your bodymind.
You will begin to feel as if the rose is, literally, inside of your bodymind. The rose fills you up, as it were, getting bigger and bigger. The colors of the rose get brighter, the textures take on life, and the sound of it, if the rose made a sound, would be rich and enveloping.
At this point, you begin to develop a quiet awe in the presence of the rose. It is such a simple thing that you have probably seen a hundred times before. But now, you are seeing it with a freshness that is totally new and pristine. It becomes thrilling, wondrous, and amazing.
While this may not be a complete awareness of the rose, you are more keenly aware of it than you ever have been or ever thought possible.
When you first experience this level of mindfulness, it appears that everything else is blocked out. But as your mindful state increases, you discover that, indeed, you have not blocked everything else out. You become aware of all sorts of other mental contents, but those contents are not able to pull your focus away from resting on the rose. Your state comes to feel very private, as though the rose has your name and signature on it. It even begins to feel as though the rose is inside of you and you are inside the rose.
Even if the rose is crushed or perhaps not as beautiful as other roses, it is perfect. It looks exactly as it ought to. As your mindfulness increases by degree, you begin to feel as though it's something that is unorganized or hat it is something that you did not purposefully choose.
Your Zen Master would tell you to allow the experience to unfold organically and warn you against attempting to control or organize it. Frequently, an increase in mindfulness feels almost like an accidental occurrence.
Eventually, you will learn to manage this accident without interfering with it.
As the non-rose mental contents bother and distract you less and less, and you become more disengaged from those contents, the setting comes to include just you and the rose.
Bathed in a state of quiet awe, you will feel as if you could look at the rose forever. Sometimes, you are afraid even to breathe, as if the rose were so delicate that a rough breath might harm it. But, as your mindfulness increases, you come to understand that the experience of the rose will not be disturbed by your breath or any function of your bodymind. The rose takes on an eternal and indestructible quality. The paradox of the rose's existence quietly presents itself. The rose has always been this beautiful, while at the same time, you feel as if it has never been this beautiful before.
Finally, you come to understand that the rose is speaking to you in a language that only you can understand. This discourse builds quickly to a peak. experience of mindfulness in which you become the rose. A merging, a meeting, and joining between you and your "rose experience" occurs. This peak experience can last several seconds or minutes.
Eventually, you learn to sustain this peak of mindfulness for longer periods of time. When this occurs, you engineer a different state of mindfulness altogether that becomes the mystic state of samadhi.
It is important to understand that mindfulness is not an either/or experience. It is a Zen Way of Being that one can cultivate; it grows. It cannot be forced, but it can be invited. Unlike conventional concentration, it is not something that you willfully choose to do. It is not an exertion that you make or a demand made with a goal or reward in mind. The true cultivation of Zen mindfulness has a gentle understated quality. Your senses rest on the object of meditation without any thought of return, and you become so entranced by the object that the experience naturally evolves on its' own, becoming more and more complete.
The use of a rose in this description of the evolving degrees of mindfulness experienced by a Zen contemplative is an intentional device. I used it in an attempt to make the description of mindfulness and its evolution more accessible. While almost anything can be used as an object of meditation, great care must be taken. Different objects will yield different experiences.
Depending upon the student and the situation, one object will be better suited for meditation than another. No single object, however simple, will be the best for everyone. A different way of saying that might be that the song a pianist chooses to play greally affects the music that is produced. Sometimes a meditation object will facilitate a deep plunge into the bodymind of the Cultivator. At other times, it will only scratch the surface.
The Zen first taught by Ta-Mo at the Shaolin Temple on Song Mountain employs the bodymind in motion as the primary object of meditation. An individual, according to Zen Buddhist theory, is not a collection of parts. Rather, he is an integrated being whether he is fully aware of it or not. It is incorrect from this perspective to say that he comes to know the world through a collection of separate sense instruments and cognitive functions. Instead, the whole man is a single instrument of cognition. He is not simply a mind, but a body as well. The complete experience of physical movement, sensation, feeling, thought, impulse, mental and physical reaction, memory, intent, emotion, and will, as a single coherent expression grants the Zen Cultivator complete access to the landscape of their inner world and the totality of their Original Self. It is a hallmark of authentic Zen.

Zen Mind: Zen seeks to engineer a complete experience of both the mind and the consciousness. This complete experience is a mystical blending of all aspects involved in experiencing any given object or event in spacetime.
When this mystical blending, or samadhi, takes place, a new way of knowing emerges. This new way of knowing is employed in seeing the original self, beholding the Buddha Mind, and yielding the Buddha Nature.
This canto emphasizes the importance of the mind in the entire process of Zen cultivation. Traditionally, this begins with the cultivation of a mind that is fully open and profoundly aware. This is a mind greatly enhanced by specific Zen contemplative technique. The goal is to generate ever increasing levels of mindfulness that can hen be applied to the intuitive investigation of the self Mindfulness as an end product is less important than mindfulness as a tool. Authentic Zen mindfulness is a living skill that grows, as well as adapts to whatever situation presents itself during intuitive investigation.
The expansive Zen concept of mind points to a state of dynamic balance that begins with an enhanced perception that evolves in degrees. That is, one's mindful awareness of an object, a mental state, a sensation, emotion, or event can range from a partial to a total state of mindful awareness. The "step-by-step" experience of each degree of mindfulness is felt as equally profound and blissful being qualitative in nature.
Said another way, every new increase in mindfulness feels as joyous and liberating as the last. Yet, at a later date, the depth of mindfulness can be evaluated by how flexible and adaptive it becomes. These graduated degrees of mindfulness, expressed in the canto as "the world--the young forest- the mountain precipice the cave" also verbally leads the Zen contemplative to the place where his investigations must invariably take place, the expansive mind.

Zen Body: The first and tenth lines of this canto are statements of Zen philosophical identity. The entire canto reminds us that in everything we do, everyone we meet and experience, we are mind. This is who we are.
Playful spontaneous activity is a hallmark of everyday
Zen life. It is not uncommon for a Zen monk to momentarily become a child, hopping and skipping instead of walking or singing instead of speaking.
Though conventional history portrays life at the ancient Shaolin Temple as spartan and near joyless, the oral tradition recounts tales of laughter, good humor, and the occasional practical joke.

Zen Hand: Zen Buddhists since the time of Ta-Mo have recited this canto as a repetitive prayer, believing it to be power-laden. This kind of adjunct Zen meditation organizes the consciousness of the Meditator. The words are uttered at softer levels than normal conversational tone. Traditionally, the canto is repeated one hundred times in a sitting.

Zen Heart: At the heart of Zen is the belief that peace, bliss, tranquility, and enlightenment can be attained through its practice. Along the way, however, the Zen Cultivator experiences many other beneficial effects.

Zen Mind: The Buddha Mind is revealed in spontaneous activity. These are authentic activities filled with freshness, innocence, and wonder. Authenticity is a sophisticated state of play wherein life and your interaction with it are experienced as an enthusiastic free improvisation that draws upon your entire personality. Authentic moments that occur spontaneously emphasize the process and not the product. They are intrinsically satisfying and
"Freestanding." Though they are independent and exist without having a definitive purpose other than their existence, spontaneous activities generate bliss, peace of mind, confidence, and spiritual dignity.

Zen Body: A life guided by the Zen ideal is a life possessed of extreme patience that relinquishes the need to control situations. Rather, Cultivators of the Zen Way allow life to unfold as it wants and at its own speed. The poet William Blake expresses it best:
He who binds to himself a joy
Doth the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in Eternity's sun rise.

Zen Hand: The easiest way to experience a Zen sense of spontaneity and newness is to become involved in a hobby that you would normally not be interested in or An activity that you have absolutely no perceived talent far. If is vital from a Zen perspective to always be involved and interested beginner in some activity so as o be an involved and interested beginner in life.

Zen Heart: The "space of no-space and form of no-form" refers to the concept of spontaneous and unpremeditated action amid a field of authenticity. Zen Cultivators often call it "non-doing" or "non-action" and use it, among other phrases, to describe a radical state of non-interference with the natural course of things wherein every action is spontaneous, free, and unintentional in the commonly accepted sense.

Zen Mind: The entire practice of Zen is something that cannot be forced. The Cultivator simply allows it to happen, so to speak. As such, the Zen Cultivator must behave as if all Zen devotional activities are the very key to his survival, while at the same time treating them with a sense of polite indifference. This makes for a unique spiritual perspective that balances spiritual urgency with a relaxed motivation. To wit: Zen is a profound seriousness that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Zen Body: Zen Buddhists faithfully balance the practice of moving Zen with seated Zen. Neither is considered to be superior to the other. A typical session of the Eighteen Hands can last anywhere from thirty minutes for beginners to three hours or more for advanced contemplatives. The entire set of eighteen activities is, traditionally, performed at least once a day.
Frequently, during a session of seated Zen, the Master in attendance will ask the student to perform one or more of the activities as a means of focusing the student's seated meditation and managing his contemplative experience.

Zen Hand: The Eighteen Hands are played mindfully without a sense of haste or worry. Each of them is regarded as a transcendental shape that exists invisibly within the Buddha Realm that is all around the Zen Cultivator. During execution of each exercise, the player gently rests his mind upon the shape and motion of his own body involved in the repetitive movement. Further, he imagines that he is gradually working his way into the transcendental shape that exists in the Buddha realm. When he becomes distracted, he acknowledges the distraction as "thinking" and lovingly returns his attention to the exercise. Most often, the player's eyes are open and directed forward. As he moves from one Hand to the next in the series, the player maintains g contemplative attitude of introspection and passive observation of his own inner workings. He draws no conclusions about any image, thought, sensation, or distraction that may occur. The Zen Cultivator merely plays the Eighteen Hands against the reflective backdrop of his own consciousness.

Zen Heart: Cultivators of the Original Zen Way regard each of the eighteen Zen movements as being representative of Zen in its entirety. As such, the practice of the Eighteen Hands of the Lohan is regarded as a sacred activity. All of the knowledge and wisdom in the universe is locked away inside each and every cell of our bodyminds. The moving Zen of Ta-Mo provides us with the keys to unlocking that knowledge and wisdom, as well as the means of employing it to completely experience our Buddha Nature and of bringing all beings to awakening.

Zen Mind: The teleologic ontology of Zen centers around the engineering of complete experience in a bodymind engaged in the act of perception. Said a simpler way, Zen employs the bodymind in motion as the object of meditation. The goal of that meditation is to mystically discover the Buddha Mind. On this mystic journey you must claim true ownership of your mind and consciousness. You must not treat it as if it were a coat to be cleaned or clung to. If you become overly fascinated with the workings of the mind or the Zen methods used to examine it, then you will become spiritually lifeless and die.

Zen Body: Zen Cultivators attempt to live their lives as
Zen meditation. As they go through their day, they observe the mind attempting to become aware of thoughts in one of the first four stages as enumerated by the first four of the eighteen exercises. The goal is to get as close to the root of a thought as is possible before it fully establishes itself and begins to involve the entire bodymind. In essence, Zen Cultivators measure all experience against the ruler of Ta-Mo's Eighteen Hands seeking to understand their own process of self-awareness.

Zen Hand: "Standing Upright and Sinking," is performed by standing relaxed and erect with the feet shoulder width apart and parallel. The Cultivator stands as still as is possible in an attempt to generate a profound sense of balance, poise, and equilibrium. throughout his entire bodymind. Everything below the waist is thought to be so extremely heavy that, if left unchecked by the will, would plunge directly into the earth. From the waist upward is imagined to be light and buoyant. Were it not for the connection to the lower half of your bodymind, it would float quickly upward into the heavens. The player maintains a balance between the two feelings while allowing himself to become a fit receptacle and blank canvas for whatever is about to occur. After standing for a period of time, the player gently moves on to the second Hand.
"Pushing Palm" is performed by slowly lifting the opened hands to a position just in front of and level with the face. The palms are kept eight to twelve inches apart and the elbows roughly point toward the ground. The palms are then slowly pushed forward as if closing a door with both hands. By way of intent, the player pretends that he is pushing the heaviest object in the world without employing any physical strength whatsoever. Once the palms have completed their press forward, the wrists are relaxed, the hands leveled and drawn backwards toward the face. The pushing motion is repeated as a continuous movement. More often than not, the player exhales as the palms are pushed forward and inhales as they are drawn inward.
"Pushing Sky and Mountains" is performed by pressing one palm upward toward the ceiling while simultaneously pressing the other palm toward the floor. The position is hen reversed by drawing both hands to a position in front of the chest and repeating the up and down press.
When the hands come in toward the chest, the player gently inhales. As he separates his hands and pushes the palms to the floor and ceiling, he gently exhales.
"Uprooting Mountains" is performed by first lifting both hands upward to chest level and pointing the elbows to the sides. The forearms are parallel to the floor. One palm is turned to face forward while the other faces the breastbone, or "Heart Center." The hand facing forward presses in that direction while the other hand gently presses inward toward the breastbone.
When the forward arm is almost straight and at the end of the press, both palms turn to face each other. The palms are then moved toward each other where they exchange places. The heart-pressing hand now pressing forward and the forward hand gently moves in toward the breastbone. The breathing is coordinated by inhaling as the hands move toward one another and by exhaling as they simultaneously press.

Zen Heart: This canto makes it plain that devotional acts, ultimately, count for nothing. Only by subduing illusion and beholding the mind can we expect to be awakened and find the Buddha. Moving Zen is designed to accomplish precisely that.

Zen Mind: The first of Ta-Mo's Eighteen Hands is called
"Standing Upright and Sinking." It represents the Great Void from which all thought, action, and life is born.
Mentally, the player identifies everything inside and oulside of his perception with the Void. Man in the Zen tradition is seen as a product of the union of Heaven and Earth. The Void Stance, as it is sometimes called, symbolizes humanity stretched between the heavens and Earth, connecting and actualizing the power of each.
This is regarded as a profound dynamic. This posture is also called the Buddha's Posture and is meant to symbolize the Buddha in a meditative state.
The second Hand is called "Pushing Palm" and symbolizes the emergence of a single human thought. It represents the initial strength of that thought as it first makes its way into the consciousness as an undifferentiated thing. Zen Buddhists regard this as the
"Fearlessness of Thought" and also regard the bodymind posture itself as a representation of the fearlessness of the Buddha.
"Pushing Sky and Mountains" is the third exercise. It represents the expansive quality of the single thought as it grows to fill up your conscious mind. In that expansion, the mind can be glimpsed if one is relaxed, alert, and aware enough. At this stage, the thought has not yet taken root but begins to draw upon the resources of the central nervous system that is experiencing it. Zen monks often reflect upon the Chinese myth of P'an K'u who used his giant form to separate the sky from the surface of the planet in order for man to live upon the earth. On a deeper level, the postures formed by this exercise are meant to symbolize the Buddha summoning the heavens and the Earth to witness his awakening. It is considered to be a representation of the strength and cobly of the awakened Buddha Mind that is unshakable in the face of illusion.
The fourth exercise is called "Uprooting Mountains" and represents the energy of the expansive thought as it condenses in the consciousness. This is the thought as it becomes more focused and coherent. This is also the movement and direction of the thought as it seeks to find a resting place within the consciousness. It symbolizes the Buddha immediately after his awakening as well as the seed of compassion that grew within his heart, calling upon him to teach the Dharma way to all of mankind.

Zen Body: The Zen Cultivator attempts to live his day in a state of reflective awareness. That is, he holds his perception akin to a mirror that faithfully and completely reflects whatever is in its field. It is almost as if you were attempting to look at everything, even something directly in your line of sight, with your peripheral vision. The image of viewing the Dragon completely is a model for viewing life in its completeness.

Zen Hand: "Dragon Twist His Waist," the fifth of the eighteen exercises, is performed by holding the opened hands above the head in a special Zen configuration. The hands are held in the "Dragon's Gesture," which is formed by touching the tips of the thumbs together and touching the tips of the first fingers together creating a triangular viewing window with both hands. The thumbs form the base of the triangle and the forefingers form the sides. The joined hands are held over the head with the palms facing upward.
The player looks upward through the window formed by his hands and gently twists his waist, turning his body alternately left and right. The player exhales as his waist twists to the sides and inhales as it untwists in between. In this position, the player attempts to view the heavens framed by his opened hands in a Zen reflective manner.

Zen Heart: A special Zen saying from the Shaolin
Temple is,
"From the Dragon we learn to ride the winds." The winds, in this case, are the components of mind moving, shifting, and changing against the backdrop of our own consciousness.

Zen Mind: In Zen both the mind and the Buddha are symbolized by the mythological Dragon, or lung. The Dragon is the beast that sleeps within the folds of the earth but rises to fly within the heavens. As such, he joins the energy of the two. The Dragon is also representative of the creative force of man who swirls and dances in the clouds displaying a tableau of the shapes and images of creation.
The Dragon is so large and swift that it is almost impossible to see him in his entirety. However, if one employs an open and reflective state of mind, attempting to view the Dragon as a whole, then he will be able to discern the intricate movements and undulations of the beast. Indeed, he will be able to see the wind currents upon which the Dragon rides.
The curving motion of the Dragon is called the "Wheel of Great Teaching." Whenever a Zen player performs the fifth of Ta-Mo's eighteen exercises, called "Dragon Twists His Waist," he is said to be "Turning the Great Wheel." It is symbolic of a complete experience of the workings of the mind and consciousness. In the evolution of a thought, this is a thought almost fully coherent and organized. Its details and intricacies are not, as yet, fully evident. However, the force of it as a created entity reverberates throughout the bodymind.

Zen Body: The notion that illusion and awareness are merely two sides of the same coin can be disturbing to a fledgling Zen Cultivator. It implies that at some level, we must embrace our illusions if we are ever to be rid of them. At the point that we believe that we are about to eradicate illusion and achieve awareness, it will be revealed that, truly, the substance of one is the substance of the other. Attempt to be kind to your programming. It got you this far.

Zen Hand: The sixth of the Eighteen Hands is called
"Dragon Kicks the Earth," or, simply, "Toe Kicking." From the feet paralleled and shoulder width stance of the previous exercises, the player draws one foot inward and places them together. He also overlaps his palms and places them on his lower abdomen. After collecting himself, the player gently and slowly kicks his foot forward to a height of about one to two feet above the ground. After the kick, he lets his foot swing backwards a bit and then repeats the kicking motion. After a designated number of repetitions, the player lowers his kicking foot to the floor and repeats the process with the other foot. Generally, when kicking forward the player inhales, and when allowing the foot to swing backwards, he exhales.
"Dragon Soaring Toward the Heavens," or "High
Kicking," is the seventh moving Zen exercise. Begin by standing in a stable forward lunge posture known as the
"Mountain Scaling Stance."
" Stand with your left foot slightly ahead of the right. Keep some width between your feet. Your feet should be flat with seventy percent of your weight on the front foot and thirty percent on the back one. Extend your right arm forward and palm upward as if gesturing toward the peaks of some distant mountain. From this position, kick your right leg upward with the toes pointed forward. After the kick, allow your leg to swing backwards and return to its original position. Generally, exhale when kicking the leg forward and inhale as it returns to the floor. Repeat as desired.

Zen Heart: To the Mind there is only perception. It doesn't mislead us intentionally. It is our unconscious allegiance to illusion that confuses and deludes us. To the Dragon, illusion and unconfused awareness is all the same thing. We have but to ride the winds like the Dragon does to understand the difference and completely behold the mind.

Zen Mind: After the Dragon flies among the clouds in the sky, he begins to look for a place of purchase where he can rest. This is the symbolism of the sixth exercise of moving Zen. The Dragon with its powerful talons flies low over the Earth looking for an appropriate place to land. With the overlapping hands resting on the lower abdomen, the player's bodymind forms the tathata mudra or Posture of Suchness. This refers to the complete embodiment of the true nature of all things. The thought, in our example, is not as yet fully apparent. In its incomplete state, it is still possible for the Cultivator to easily glimpse the formless and immutable Absolute before the thought can became part of the phenomenal realm.

Zen Body: Zen Buddhists often "look between" daily tasks and thoughts about the tasks as a way to glimpse the transition point between the unifying principle and the phenomena itself. This requires a profound skill at self observance that each Zen Cultivator must train. One way to train this skill is to pretend that you are sitting in the rafters of the room you're in and intently watching yourself.

Zen Hand: "Dragon Hooks His Leg" is performed by using the foot to trace a small J-shaped hook on the ground to either side of the bodymind. The Cultivator stands poised to hook his leg and inhales. He then exhales and makes the small hooking motion. "Dragon Sweeps The Earth" is performed by alternately performing a vigorous backward sweeping motion with the entire leg. During this Hand, the Zen Cultivator endeavors to keep his breathing relaxed and natural.

Zen Heart: When a thought is experienced and begins to emerge in the field of consciousness, there is a time when it still belongs to the realm of the unifying Source of all existence. It has not yet taken root as a mental
"thing." To view the consciousness in a mystic way-that is, to have a complete experience of the thought- is to see this transition point and be able to see the workings of the Buddha Mind in the phenomenal world. The reality of this experience is fundamental to Zen Buddhist thought.

Zen Mind: The pawing and sweeping of the Dragon establishes order in a mind prone to discrimination. In the previous two exercises, "toe kicking" and "high kicking," the energy of the evolving thought reverberates between the earth and the heavens. In this case, these are metaphors for the energy of fully organized experience (Earth) and potential experience (heaven.
"Dragon Hooks His Leg" and "Dragon Sweeps The Earth," the eighth and ninth exercises respectively, are symbolic of the final stages of the experienced thought before it begins to become part of the differentiated mind-stuff. This is the dividing line between the undifferentiated world of experience and the empirical world. At this juncture it is possible to see the "Supreme Wisdom" and the unifying nature of all existence. To see this wisdom is to glimpse the Buddha Mind.

Zen Body: As a daily exercise, the Zen Cultivator ponders the notion of the literal impossibility of death, even in the face of great tragedy and suffering. He observes the emotions and other workings of his bodymind as he does so. This serves many levels of Zen training.

Zen Hand: The Buddha Mind can be experienced in authentic, spontaneous, and natural actions. As a matter of course, it is important to be ready for the opportunity to "naturally" see the essential self against the backdrop of your inner workings. These are fleeting moments that appear as accidental flashes of intuition and awareness. The Zen Cultivator must learn to be prepared for these moments. In effect, he must learn to become aware of these accidental moments and be ready to manage them as they quickly unfold. Seated Zen builds this necessary skill.

Ten Heart: The idea that a true teacher is necessary to come to full accomplishment is ubiquitous in Zen. At the very least, a teacher must be skilled in the art of the Eighteen Hands and have come to a full mystic experience of their practice.

Zen Mind: Your key to realizing your Buddha Nature is always present in the energy and workings of the mind.
The mind knows its own nature. It observes, perceives, compares, and catalogues as it seeks to organize what it experiences; that is its nature. If you can directly experience the mind, i.e. see it clearly as it naturally functions, then you will realize your true self and essential nature.

Zen Body: The first stanza of this canto paints a picture of the devotional life of the Zen Buddhist within a temple setting. Mindfully engaging in ritual brings coherence and focus to the cultivator. Memorizing and reciting sutra passages serve as a guide to leading a Zen life. Great inspiration can be drawn from studying the life of the Buddha with contemplation upon the symbolism of his life bringing comfort in difficult times.
Engaging in these activities results in an increase of spiritual vitality, energy, and focus. Zen Buddhists regard these collective activities as a means of turning their entire life into a spiritual qigong.

Zen Hand: "Young Tiger Flexes Claws" is performed by first standing in an attention posture with the arms crossed in front of the chest. The Cultivator then steps to one side in a wide stance called the "Tiger Subduing" or
"Horse Riding" stance while simultaneously extending the arms to the sides as if opening a curtain. The hands, held in half-fists, form the shape of tiger paws. The Zen Cultivator then returns to the crossed-arms attention posture and repeats the movement on the other side.
Generally, he inhales in the attention posture and exhales as he steps out and opens the imaginary curtain.

Zen Heart: Even if you are able to live a devoutly
Buddhist life, the devotional life of a Zen Cultivator only helps to prepare you for the opportunity to behold the mind. Ultimately, that is the goal.

Ten Mind: The metaphor of both the Dragon and Tiger refer to different parts of the evolutionary process of a single thought, as well as the function of the thinking mind. When a thought is in the Dragon phase, it still possesses a quality that implies homelessness. That is, it appears to be a thing external to the bodymind perceiving it. This thought is generated by the interplay of consciousness and mind-stuff within the bodymind of the person experiencing it. When this thought begins to take up residence in the perceiver's mind and appears as part of the internal world, it has entered the Tiger phase of the thought. During the normal conscious perception of a non-Cultivator, this is the point when that human being becomes aware that they are thinking.
However, the Zen Cultivator gradually builds skill at experiencing the earlier stages of thought. The tenth Hand of Ta-Mo is called "Young Tiger Flexes Claws," or
"Golden Leopard Reveals Claws." This exercise Is a melaphor for the specific stage of thought wherein the thought first takes root in the flow of consciousness.

Zen Body: In the grips of illusion, the undisciplined mind can become confused about the essence of a thought. That is, toxicity or what is ultimately life negating, is mistaken for what is life-affirming or nourishing. On a day-to-day basis, the Zen Cultivator attempts to classify his habits, behavior, activities, thought, and speech as either toxic or nourishing. This yields great insight into the inner workings of the bodymind and shapes the relationship the Zen Buddhist has to the rest of his family and community.

Zen Hand: "Pressing Mountain Tops" is performed by first standing in an attention posture and then, alternately stepping into the Mountain Scaling Stance toward the left front and then to the right front. The Cultivator returns to his attention posture after each step.
When stepping forward, the Zen Cultivator presses both palms toward the floor as if pushing upon the peaks of two mountains. The hands are turned so the fingers point toward each other. Generally, the Cultivator inhales in the attention posture and exhales as he steps forward and pushes downward. This gesture is sometimes called the varada mudra. It symbolizes the granting of a spiritual boon or wish. In this case, it is an embodied wish for the ability to control the force of thought and glimpse the Buddha Mind.

Zen Heart: As spiritual qigong, "Pressing Mountain Tops" tempers the energy of the newly arising thought.
Ancient Chinese culture saw mountains as condensed and vibrant earth energy aftempting to reach up and touch the heavens. The image of holding the mountains in check by pressing down on them is the symbolic basis of the eleventh Hand. The last stanza of the canto tells the story of the historic Buddha's son and the fate of those who cannot "restrain the mountains and subdue the Tiger." He was a model member of the Buddhist community in all regards, yet he was unable to maintain discipline enough to banish illusion from his bodymind and see his own Original Self. In Zen language, his life was devoured by his illusion driven thoughts.

Zen Mind: The Tiger in this context is the sum of mind components and the energy exerted by them as they compete for primacy within the field of consciousness. It is also the psychic momentum created by the interplay.
The Tiger also represents mind-stuff that is available to everyday cognitive awareness. The eleventh Hand of Ta-Mo, "Pushing Mountain Tops," symbolizes the new thought as it prepares to further settle in the field of awareness. During the normal conscious awareness of a non-Cultivator, this is the point when they first become aware of the thought itself. Not yet fully formed, the indistinct thought can still be identified by its emotional quality. Usually, thoughts at this stage of development can easily be felt as either toxic or nourishing.

Zen Body: Glimpsing the truth of illusion can take place at any moment. Some of the best opportunities for self-discovery present themselves during normal daily activity. All that is required to mine these moments is a daily existence fully lived the Zen Way.

Zen Hand: As a matter of daily practice, the Zen Cultivator would routinely recite cantos of this kind aloud as a way to focus other devotional techniques. Within the oral tradition, some Masters will recite this Zen-affirming pronouncement between all other cantos in a given sermon. Usually a period of silent contemplation follows the final stanza so the Meditators in attendance can focus on the interrogative.

Zen Heart: The way to the Buddha is through a contemplative exploration of the mind and a complete experience of its inner workings.

Zen Mind: This stanza reaffirms the fundamental Zen notion that the only way to awaken from the bonds of illusion is to turn inward and glimpse your Original Self.
Your essential nature is to be fully awake and aware enough to have a complete experience of all aspects of life. It is your birthright. You reclaim this birthright by freeing it from the imprisonment of illusion through the practice of Zen.

Zen Body: The seventh stanza of this canto is a statement of basic Zen philosophy, as well as an indication of a specific esoteric meditation technique.
Specifically, the Zen Cultivator engineers a belief system (i.e. convinces himself) that everything he sees and experiences in normal waking consciousness is, in reality, a dream. Behaving in this way helps introduce the Cultivator to the illusory nature of existence and the reality of his own participation in creating that illusion.

Zen Hand: The exercise known as "Tiger Straightens Waist" is played by stepping into a wide parallel stance while performing an inward gathering motion with both arms. The Cultivator maintains this wide stance for the next five exercises as a physical embodiment of a fully rooted thought. The Cultivator breathes in as the arms open wide and exhales as the arms gather inward. The gathering and embracing body posture forms the spiritual posture known as the "Tiger Subduing Buddha" ajmudra.
The next Hand, "Wild Goose Beats Wings," is played by gently throwing both hands upward as if they are flying into the heavens. As they are thrown upward, the player looks to the sky and imagines the lone goose breaking away from the flock to follow its own flight path.
The player gently bends his arms back and forth while inhaling. The arms and gaze move upward and float downward during exhalations. The spiritually symbolic hand gestured heavenward is called the "Wild Goose" mudra and is known as the "Gesture of Differentiation.”

Zen Heart: At the heart of all Zen practice is the idea of gaining intuitive insight into the inner workings of the totality of the mind. The fifth stanza of this canto fully encapsulates the Zen approach. To wit: Engineer a profound state of intuitive awareness by allowing the workings of the bodymind to unfold naturally without any interference. Then, with relaxed quiescence, mindfully observe the workings. This, human intelligence viewing itself at work, is the practical core of all Zen.

Zen Mind: It is helpful in this examination to remember that the concept of mind in Zen is, in actual practice and approach, bodymind. Bodymind includes feelings, sensations, memories, and other mind-stuff. The second stanza of this canto can then be read as, "Observe the inner workings of the Bodymind /And you will be led to your essential nature." Profoundly, this is Zen.
The twelfth and thirteenth of the Eighteen Hands are, respectively, "Tiger Straightening its Waist" and "Wild Goose Beats Wings." Continuing to explore the life of a single thought in our example, the evolving thought takes root in the conscious field. It calls our attention to it by fully emerging from beneath the surface of normal awareness to appear in our field of mental perception. said differently, the thought straightens up and we take notice of it. This is the Tiger's nature.
At this point in our mystic recognition of the thought, it begins to manifest a singularity that will, eventually, set it apart from the rest of our thoughts. The image of a single goose flying away from the rest of the flock communicates not only the uniqueness of the arisen thought but also its impending evolution within the community of thoughts inhabiting our consciousness. This is a perennial image in Zen influenced art, poetry, and drama.

Zen Body: As a direct influence of Taoist philosophy, Zen Buddhists classify all phenomena into one of eight primordial types or elements. These elements each form a shape and energy that collectively establish the foundation of all existence. The elements are graphically represented by three-lined diagrams, or trigrams, and are referred to as a kua. Each kua consists of an arrangement of either broken or solid lines. The eight primordial elements are:
Heaven (chien): things expressive, strong, and outward flowing
Earth (kun): things receptive, weak, and inward flowing
Mountain (ken): things firmly planted and imbued with stillness
Marsh (tui): things joyous and pleasurable Water (kan): things menacing and gloomy
Fire (li): things magnificent and awe inspiring
Thunder (chen): things beginning to move and
arouse attention
Wind (sun): things displaying penetrating strength
Much like their Taoist counterparts, followers of Zen intuitively observe the phenomenal world and watch for clues to the interplay of the eight primordial elements. In so doing, they attempt to divine the natural secrets of life as they play out against the panorama of existence.
These eight elements also reveal layers of intent and influence within individual differentiated thoughts. These are the eight places that make up the world.

Zen Hand: "Bending the Bow" and "Embracing the Tiger" is the fourteenth Hand of Ta-Mo. Physically, the Cultivator draws an imaginary bow and arrow in eight different directions. The drawing motion is coordinated with an inhalation while the imaginary arrow is loosened during exhalation. As each arrow is released, the Cultivator imagines it penetrating one of the eight dimensions that overlap to form consensual reality. Each of these dimensions is named after one of the eight primordial elements. The ajmudra, or spiritually symbolic posture formed by this exercise, is often referred to as the Warrior Buddha.

Zen Heart: Most of this canto presents the concept of the importance of having a skilled teacher when exploring the Zen Way to enlightenment. Full awakening is frequently the result of a continuous series of partial enlightenments. Being so influenced by illusion, however, fedgling Cultivators can miss these moments of small awakening and lapse backwards into even deeper illusion. It is a Zen core belief that only a skilled teacher can prevent this from happening.
The ignorance, or avidya, mentioned in the fourth stanza of this canto, refers to deliberate and willful non-recognition of the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. These truths concern duhkha. Some Buddhist traditions define duhkha as "suffering," but Zen Buddhists define it as
"unrestrained friction." Specifically, the four truths are: 1) the truth of unrestrained friction, 2) the truth regarding the causes of unrestrained friction, 3) the truth of eliminating unrestrained friction, and 4) the truth of the methods that eliminate unrestrained friction. The specific methods that eliminate unrestrained friction, or suffering, are referred to as The Eightfold Path. Each of the directions employed in "Bend the Bow" and "Embrace the Tiger" symbolically represents one of these paths.
Taken as a whole, they form the doctrinal bedrock of Zen practice.

Zen Mind: Original Zen accepts the notion that a skilled teacher is necessary in guiding the student to full awakening. It also, however, acknowledges and reveres the idea that awakening can occur spontaneously without the presence of a flesh and blood teacher. This rare occurrence is something that every Zen Cultivator should be prepared for. In this way, even the movement of trees or the smell of grass can become the master that guides the student toward enlightenment.
The fourteenth Hand of Ta-Mo called "Bend the Bow and Embrace the Tiger" symbolically represents the stage of thought evolution in which the completed thought finishes differentiation and embraces its own uniqueness.

Zen Body: Practically speaking, Zen Cultivators rely on new experiences as a way of reminding them of the freshness of direct experience. Simply put, doing something that you have never done before helps combat the demons and devils that would push you from the Zen Way of Life. The fourth stanza of this canto points to the Zen process of routinely challenging ones deeply held beliefs as a means of escaping the totalitarian hardening of a life beset by illusion.

Zen Hand: "Reaching Forward to Grab the Tiger" is performed by inhaling and stretching both arms forward with the palms facing downward. While exhaling, the player gradually manitests a dynamic tension throughout his body as he slowly pulls his hands backwards to form fight fists that rest on the hips. The only part of the Cultivator's body that must remain placid and relaxed is his face and neck. At the conclusion of the exhalation, the Cultivator relaxes his body tension, reaches forward again, and repeats the exercise. The body and hand posture formed by this exercise is referred to as the mudra of "Untailing Strength and Unshakable Confidence.”

Zen Heart: This canto is quite clear about the consequences of allowing demons to distract you from the Dharma path. Possessing the dynamic strength of a spiritual warrior, as exemplified by the fifteenth Hand, is vital to the elimination of these spiritual impediments.

Zen Mind: Zen Buddhists regard any coordinated effort or consolidated entity that pulls you from the Dharma path as a demon. In this case, a demon can be corporeal in the consensual realm, a non-corporeal force, imaginings, or even an unfortunate chain of events. Demons can also be your own thoughts and doubts about the good sense of the Buddha's spiritual message. In modern parlance, being stressed out can be demonic as well as the predilection of succumbing to the influences of popular culture or public opinion.
Fundamentally, a Zen Buddhist must learn to stand on his own and forge a devotional discipline that is unique to him, yet still existing within the limits of Zen convention. Discovering how to best apply one's self to the practice of Zen within the intuitive limits of the Zen path yields a spiritual intensity that strengthens the character and personality of the Cultivator.
"Reaching Forward to Grab the Tiger" is the fifteenth
Hand of Ta-Mo. It embodies that evolutionary stage of a thought that can best be described as mental energy being absorbed into physical tissue. It is a quickening in which the thought begins to affect the physiology of the thinker. It represents a consolidation of the various facets of the thought and a condensing or hardening of the thought as a definitive thing. Frequently, in the Zen tradition, this is called "Tiger Playing With a Ball.”

Zen Body: Zen Cultivators often speak of listening to the silent song as "experiencing the world slant."
Practically applied, the Cultivator will, for example, look at objects with peripheral vision instead of direct line of sight. Listening to the silence between spoken words rather than listening to the words themselves or touching objects with the back of the hand instead of the fingertips are two other methods routinely employed by Cultivators. Exploring the truth of poetry and music are also common Zen approaches to hearing the silent song and, eventually, shedding mortality.

Zen Hand: The main formal Zen practice of shedding mortality taught by Ta-Mo at the Shaolin Temple bears the name of the cyclical dynamic that introduces Zen adherents to limitlessness-the Mothers' Supreme Order.
This Zen spiritual training technique will be discussed in the commentary to Canto XXV.

Zen Heart: Shedding mortality and slipping past the cycle of birth and death is a Zen core belief that is often radically misunderstood. This is due, in large part, to the unfortunate separation of moving Zen from seated Zen practice.
By the time of the sixth Chinese patriarch Hui-Neng, it was common among Zen followers in southern China to roufinely malign the practice of moving Zen. According to oral tradition, this group emphasized the distinctively dogmatic precept of spiritual exclusivity, among other anti-northern Zen ideas. Soon, southern Zen evolved a self-centered intelligentsia and orthodoxy characterized by just the kind of spiritual materialism that moving Zen was designed to prevent. In the language of Ta-Mo, these individuals were devils, demons, and disembodied spirits that deliberately prevented people from shedding their mortality.

Zen Mind: When the Zen Cultivator can completely identity with the limitlessness of the self and function from that place, he is said to be shedding his mortality. The specific steps toward shedding mortality are supported by the Three Treasures of Zen and inform the Zen mindset. The first step toward shedding mortality is the elimination of the obvious and unnecessary pain of mortal living and the expansion of the awareness of the limited self that is bound by illusion.
The second step is to penetrate the noise and confusion of the consensual reality-realm and glimpse the realm of the spirit. Once the spirit-realm is realized, the notion of the bodymind as a limited thing gives way to a sense of limitlessness. The intuitive becomes real. That is, far more real and authentic than reason and intellect.
The third step occurs when the Cultivator begins to experience the full force and power of the spirit-realm in a palpable way. This phase of mortality shedding requires renewed caution, discipline, and awareness on the part of the Zen Cultivator. There is the great danger of becoming overwhelmed by the power of the revealed spirit-realm. Elevated levels of focus, concentration, and mindfulness are required to navigate this phase.
The hallmarks of the fourth part of this process involve generating a profound reverence for and complete surrender to the unfolding process itself. This yields a new awareness of balance and harmony in which the Cultivator of the Zen Way slips past the discriminating mind altogether and begins to intimately connect with the essential self. As this occurs, the literal impossibility of death ceases to be an intellectual concept and emerges as a full part of the Cultivator's ground of being.Zen Buddhists believe that this process is a perennial and cyclical dynamic that functions as a spiritual backdrop within all of us, whether we are aware of it or not. This dynamic constantly presents itself to us as an invitation to shed our mortality. In language borrowed directly from their Taoist counterparts, Zen Buddhists call this cyclical dynamic the Mothers' Supreme Order.
The Mothers' Supreme Order is a key concept in the Zen of Ta-Mo. Think of it as a song that repeatedly plays in the back of your mind. The process of shedding mortality is one in which the ambient noise of the illusory world is turned down so as to allow the once silent song to be heard. The act of listening to it gradually raises the volume level until it becomes loud enough to supplant the ambient noise. All that remains is to become harmonically and rhythmically entrained to the once silent song.

Zen Body: In actual practice, this canto is employed as a call and response activity in Zen communities. The Master loudly declaims the first line of stanzas one through six. After each declaration of "Mind!" the students in attendance recite the subsequent line or lines of the stanzas. The Master alone declaims the final stanza of this canto.

Zen Hand: As a specific Zen technique, the Cultivator strolls through familiar surroundings and allows his attention to rest on common objects such as trees, rocks, tables, chairs, and the like. When the Cultivator takes notice of an object, he points at the object and loudly mislabels it. For example, he might point to a rock and call it a bird. After dozens of objects have been mislabeled in this manner, the Cultivator continues pointing to random objects labeling each as "Mind!" Even fifteen minutes of such an activity can begin to alter the perception resulting in an awareness that two minds are at work in one body. One mind is experienced as the deluded mind while the other is identified in Zen tradition as the natural mind. The Cultivator endeavors to watch the minds at work in his field of perception.

Zen Heart: It is a Zen core belief that all devotional activity, no matter how well meaning and performed, is fundamentally empty and devoid of spiritual merit.
Only through the mind can you come to know your Buddha Nature.

Zen Mind: This canto clearly emphasizes the Zen belief that everything is identified as mind. In briet, by the contemplative observance of our own mind, we gain intuitive insight into the Original Self that unerringly leads to the Buddha Mind.
Stanza four establishes new territory. The notion that everything is mind is radical enough. That mind is invisible to some and visible to others is an even more radical idea.

Zen Body: During normal activity, the Zen Cultivator regards every part of his life as sacred and attempts to infuse it with increasing levels of balance, poise, and equilibrium. He regards this as a kind of informal practice in which he lives his life as art. Only then can the natural mind surface and be seen.

Zen Hand: "Dragon Thrashes its Tail" is performed by first joining the hands to form the "Dragons' Gesture!' (See the fifth Hand.) The player holds the joined hands in front of his body and begins to trace an infinity symbol in the air. The motion can be played in either a relaxed or vigorous manner. The player imagines that the continuous oscillating movement of the hands sends waves of connectivity in all directions. This, not unlike
"Dragon Twist Waist,"
" symbolically represents the
turning of "The Wheel of Great Teaching." The player endeavors to allow his breath to untold naturally as he performs this exercise.
Following this period of vigorous movement, the player decelerates and seamlessly moves on to the seventeenth Hand, called "Dragon Striking Out with Claws." Essentially, the player shifts from side to side gesturing with closed fists in a circular fashion. When twisting to the right, he traces a clockwise circle with his right fist. He traces a counterclockwise circle when twisting to the lett. When a hand is circling upward, the player inhales, and when the fist circles downward, he exhales. The ajmudra formed by this exercise is called the posture "Defiance and Protection.”

Zen Heart: Uncovering the natural mind is the goal of Zen practice in general and moving Zen in particular.

Zen Mind: The image of the lung or Dragon emerges as that stage in a thought's evolution wherein the natural mind attempts, one last time, to throw off this new illusion. It also represents the fully rooted and differentiated thought rapidly expanding throughout the consciousness and becoming an integral part ot the entire matrix of consciousness and mind-stuft. This is experienced as waves of oscillating nuance that grow omnidirectionally to fill all parts of the mind field. The thought is about to become part of the illusory world.
The sixteenth Hand of Ta-Mo embodies this stage. It is called "The Dragon Thrashes its Tail."
The seventeenth Hand of Ta-Mo is called "The Dragon
Strikes Out." Here the thought digs in and becomes a complete partner in the formation ot illusion. The image is one of a Dragon striking out with its claws in all directions as it claims space and searches for primacy.
In doing so, it becomes part of everything you think, say, or do. It becomes connected to memories from the past and sensations from the present. This is a thought that becomes woven into the very fabric of ordinary living.
Yet, hidden beneath this fabric is the natural mind, which is the only way to the Buddha.

Zen Body: Learning how to ride the winds begins with observing the consciousness and mind-stuff at work during seated Zen. Transformative moving Len allows an even greater opportunity to directly experience the Dragon of mind-stuff and consciousness. The physically expressive art of kung-fu with its energetic punches and kicks is the vehicle employed by followers of the original Zen of Ta-Mo. They use kung-fu to observe the inner workings of the self and the roots of their own natures.
Without learning how to ride the winds, there can be no authentic Zen.

Zen Hand: "Tathagata Turns and Views the Universe" is performed by gathering the arms and hands at the waist, stepping forward, and pushing the hands upward to mimic the motion of a lotus flower pushing upward through the mud to bloom. After completing one push, the player quickly turns around, gathers himselt, and repeats the lotus pushing movement in the opposite direction.
Breathing is kept relaxed and natural. As the player turns around between each physically symbolic blooming of the lotus, he attempts to catch a glimpse of the cosmic principle that lies at the heart of all Buddhist practice.

Zen Heart: Both the chance and the opportunity for a complete and sudden enlightenment is continuously being presented to everyone and anyone. Zen is radically inclusive, open, and nonjudgmental. Anyone who sincerely wishes to follow the Zen path of Ta-Mo can experience the Buddha in this one lifetime.

Zen Mind: The final stage of the evolving thought graphically displayed during the physical execution of the Eighteen Hands occurs when the thought becomes so well defined and entrenched in the consciousness that its opposite spontaneously appears. At this precise point of turning in on itself, the essence of the universe is revealed in a near-blinding instant. It is the last opportunity for the Zen Cultivator to glimpse his essential nature in the thought and behold the Buddha Mind.
Please remember, the Eighteen Hands are an exposition of the evolution of a single human thought. Each stage presents the Cultivator with an opportunity for full awakening. As we continually experience thought, we are continuously experiencing opportunities for enlightenment.
The eighteenth Hand is called the "Tathagata Turns
Around and Views the Universe," or "Pivot the Mind and Push Forward." Both the body and hand posture formed by this exercise are called the "Thus-Gone and Thus-Pertected Buddha." It symbolically represents the full flowering of the Buddha Nature that resides within everyone.

Zen Body: Any activity that exerts independence or generates feelings of individualism supports formal Zen cultivation. That having been said, these activities should not take time away from Zen meditation.

Zen hand: Many individuals approach the practice of Zen in a casual manner. This is not inappropriate because even a haphazard Zen practice can yield many benefits, such as improved health and memory. Plainly said, however, a haphazard or less than committed practice will simply not sustain the Zen spiritual quest.

Zen Heart: This entire canto re-emphasizes the Zen precept that looking for the Buddha outside of the mind is nothing more than a fruitless search.

Zen Mind: Central to the spiritual life of a Zen
Cultivator is the concept of self-reliance. Even in the oftentimes-complex search for awakening, the Cultivator must go it alone. While Ta-Mo emphasizes the need for a true teacher and the clearest methods for achieving awakening, the most important person is the Cultivator himself or herself. This level of spiritual independence is rarely seen in modern society, which constantly competes with your devotional goals. Still, it one is to succeed in Zen, the determination and discipline of a warrior is necessary.

Zen Body: The idea of avoiding demons while walking the Zen path involves maintaining a relaxed countenance along the way. Giving them too much affention only encourages them and attracts more of their disharmony. The Zen Cultivator combats these denizens by taking comfort and refuge in the good sense of the Buddhist message.

Zen Hand: Popular discourse on Zen meditation frequently includes the idea that Zen involves an emptying of the mind, thereby ridding it of illusion.
However, this is not the original Zen Way.
In many ways, a mind that is deluded by illusion acts in a stiff and robotic fashion. As a result, all of our outward behavior becomes robotic. While this might sound bad at first blush, this robotic behavior is not entirely undesirable. For example, our robot got us out of bed this morning. It helped cleanse and teed our bodies. We could not drive our cars or obey the laws of our communities without the robot or the rationalizations that sustain It.
Zen philosophy holds that a Cultivator should, in a manner of speaking, treat his or her robot with kindness.
After all, the robot managed to deliver the Culfivator to the tender mercies of the Zen Way.
To completely expunge the robotic tendencies of our being and the associated detritus from our minds would sever us from the life we have thus far created. It is within the folds of that created life that the clues to our awakening exist.

Zen Heart: Many people come to Zen in an attempt to counter the effects of an overwhelmingly negative self-image. Sadly, a negative self-image is the single biggest threat to survival in the consensual world. Zen philosophy considers this situation as a spiritual disease in which the afflicted has no root with which to draw nourishment. Such individuals come to regard their thoughts as impure and unworthy of even existing. It is a Zen core belief that each of us is part of the divinity that is the Buddha Mind. We have only to accept ourselves as we are with all of our gilts and deficits and surrender to the natural evolution of our lives. In this way, attempting to see our essential nature, we are able to reclaim our terrestrial safety and draw heavenly nourishment from the Zen Way of Life.

Zen Mind: In this canto, Ta-Mo warns his followers to beware of embracing a superficial understanding of illusion, awakening, meditation, and mortality. He is also warning them of those who propagate that kind of superficiality. Central to the philosophy of those described as devils and demons is the idea that the truth of illusion is not fixed but plastic. That is, illusion as a concept is malleable. One person's illusion is not another person's illusion. Furthermore, this difference is spiritually significant. Authentic Zen, however, which emphasizes putting an end to illusion, holds that the root of illusion is universal and does not vary from person to person. Said another way, demons emphasize differences while true
Zen cultivators concern themselves with similarities.
The notion that illusion is variable and specific to an individual invariably leads to the premise that human nature, though flawed, is not fixed and, therefore, is capable of controllable and fundamental change in the absence of awakening, i.e. people are perfectible without full spiritual awareness. We have but to identity their specific illusion and address it with hard target techniques of behavior modification and formulaic emotional re-programming. Once this is accomplished, the individual penetrates the illusion that troubles them and they take a step away from imperfection. This runs contrary to the original Zen premise that people are already perfect to begin with. We have only to penetrate the root of illusion in its totality and glimpse our essential nature to realize the fact of this perfection.
The Zen of Ta-Mo realizes that man is predominantly driven by the forceful weight of illusion characterized by irrational impulses and, often anti-rational feelings and sentiments. Conquering these feelings and impulses takes great spiritual discipline, courage, and skill. It is frequently very difficult. Demons, on the other hand, advise you to believe that fundamental change is easy and perfectly natural it, to use a modern phrase, you
"can get your head right." This superficial understanding that is characteristic of the disembodied spirit leads to sectarianism, self-loathing, pessimism, and all manner of ideological thinking that stifles the intuitive reasoning vitally important to beholding the Buddha Mind. This superficiality must be avoided at all costs.

Zen Body: The Mothers' Supreme Order is, generally speaking, applied to all of the moving Zen that evolved from the original Eighteen Hands of la-Mo. However, with a little practice, almost any physical activity can be approached in this way. While the transformative movement routines of moving Zen were designed with specific spiritual and energetic goals in mind, normal everyday activity can be elevated to mystic art when infused with the Order.

Zen Hand: The Zen practice of the Mothers' Supreme
Order begins with the choosing of a specific transformative movement routine. This routine, well rehearsed and ritually imbued with symbolic meaning, is one that requires focus, skill, strength, and concentration to properly execute.

Zen Heart: Directly engaging the Mothers' Supreme Order during the practice of moving Zen introduces the Cultivator to the holographic nature of the entire universe. It also imbues the Cultivator with a palpable sense of the limitlessness of the universe, as well as his place in it.

Zen Mind: This canto outlines the method by which the mind-thing or unnatural mind can be subdued and the natural mind called forward. This method is called the Mothers' Supreme Order, or Zen Ordering. This is also described in the Zen oral tradition as the method of shedding mortality. It accesses a cyclical dynamic of periods of delusion and wakefulness that is an integral part of humankind. At its simplest, the Mothers' Supreme Order represents a projected balance of mental intent, physical expressiveness, and life-force energy within a specific routine of carefully designed transtormative bodymind movement. It attempts to generate a frequency within the bodymind that is parallel to the frequency of the natural mind. If properly engineered, the power of the natural mind makes itself known to the Cultivator during the performance of the movement routine. If temporarily supplants the ordinary mind during this process. This event generates examples of complete experience, awakening, and all phases of the Len experience. It serves as an accessible display of Zen standards, as examples of benchmarks in advanced culfivation, and as a kind of spiritual quality control that helps prevent the Cultivator from straying from the Zen path. It is regarded as a complete Zen method that connects to all other Zen methods.

Zen Body: This canto provides a wealth of inspiration on living a Zen life. With this focus, the verse may be rendered in this way:
Live an awakened life in which you are alert and aware.
Live your life with purpose and explore your world. Experience as much of the world as is possible.
Your bodymind moving through life is your object of contemplation.
Your movement through life is Zen.
The exploration of yourself and your life is Zen.
Try to see your essential nature while living your life.
The path is the way and the way is the path.
Your mind is Zen and the Buddha is
Zen.
Your life, as Zen, is the object, path, and method of awakening.
Mindfully live so you can see your essential nature.
See your essential nature and every aspect of living will become Zen.

Zen Hand: Stanzas two through five clearly define the use of transformative movement in Zen. The bodymind in motion is the object of the Zen meditation founded at the Shaolin Temple at Song Mountain. The reality realm is the consensual reality available to normal waking consciousness. The physical culture arts that evolved from Ta-Mo's original Eighteen Hands form a sophisticated system of bodymind wisdom. As a bodymind philosopher, the Zen Cultivator fuses the totality of the self with the wonders of the natural world.
Thus forged, he plunges headlong into the nature of illusion, suffering, cognition, and awareness. He must move his bodymind; he must explore his environment; he must search for his original face and essential self. He must--body and soul-"be" Zen.

Zen Heart: The promise of Zen is universal and available to everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, education, or religion. The philosophy of Ta-Mo is one of radical inclusion. It is nonjudgmental and completely adaptable to any life that embraces it. All that one must do is, well... do it. The Buddha's message is a simple one: Wake up! The message of Ta-Mo is likewise a simple one: Look to yourself. That is where you will find the Buddha. Those combined messages form the heart of the Zen life.

Zen Mind: In this canto, Ta-Mo summarizes the entire subject of Zen philosophy and practice. He particularly emphasizes the importance of moving Zen in the quest for awakening.