Author | Lightnews

Unpack what “Zen” really meant to early Chán masters, from scripture to practice. — MIND LIGHT WAY

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · 12d

What did early Zen masters really mean by Zen (Chán/禪)?
Not a technique, but a way of living from clarity —
the path of direct insight and freedom in each moment.

Read the new article ↓
www.mindlightway.org/zen-history-...

#Zen #Chan #Dhyana #ZenHistory

Discover how early Chán (Zen) masters defined 禪, tracing its roots in the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, Huineng, and Mazu to a living definition today.

Guided Meditation | Breath, Mantra, Koan & Pure Awareness Practice| ZEN ART CENTER | MIND LIGHT WAY

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · 15d

Help us sustain a thriving community where Zen, creativity, and compassion awaken as a loving light in the world. Consider making a donation for our fundraising drive for 2026!!!
www.zen-artcenter.com/so/cbPd4rfnm...

Keep the Light Shining

www.zen-artcenter.com

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · 23d

🪷 Live Guided Zen Meditation Tonight at 7 PM ET 🪷
This practice will guide you into clarity, calm, and presence—helping you integrate awareness into every moment of daily life.
📺 Watch live on The Zen Art Center YouTube channel: [link]
#Zen #GuidedMeditation #Koan
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uufR...

YouTube video by Zen Art Center | Mind Light Way School of Zen

The Two Entrances and Four Practices — MIND LIGHT WAY

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Sep 22

The Two Entrances and Four Practices is a map of the Zen Way.
Not a doctrine—just a path.
Insight, joy, and wisdom arise when you focus on the process, not the goal.
Read more: www.mindlightway.org/zen-history-...

#ZenPractice #NonSeeking #Mindfulness #Zen #Bodhidharma

Explore The Two Entrances and Four Practices, one of the earliest Zen texts attributed to Bodhidharma. This foundational Chan Buddhist teaching offers a clear path to awakening through accepting suffe...

Guided Meditation & Dharma Talk | Intuition, Insight, and Wisdom | ZEN ART CENTER | MIND LIGHT WAY

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Sep 20

Is it intuition—or just another thought? 🌿

In this Dharma Talk + Guided Meditation, Zen Master Sebastian Rizzon shows how Zen practice clears the mind, deepens insight, and helps you live with wisdom.

▶️ Watch here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crsr...

#Zen #Intuition #Wisdom #Mindfulness #DharmaTalk

YouTube video by Zen Art Center | Mind Light Way School of Zen

Guided Meditation & Dharma Talk | Intuition, Insight, and Wisdom | ZEN ART CENTER | MIND LIGHT WAY

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Sep 17

🌿Zen practice for clarity, intuition, and insight in every moment.

Join Zen Master Sebastian Rizzon for a guided meditation + Dharma Talk on insight, wisdom, and Zen practice (koans, sitting & moving meditation).

Live-streaming, Thursday 9/18, 7-8 PM ET:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crsr...

#zen

YouTube video by Zen Art Center | Mind Light Way School of Zen

Guided Zen Meditation & Dharma Talk | Breath, Mantra, Sound & Koan | ZEN ART CENTER | MIND LIGHT WAY

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Sep 4

🪷 Live tonight at 7 PM ET!
Zen Meditation & Dharma Talk with Zen Master Sebastian Rizzon.

📍 Zen Art Center, 86 Joy St, Studio 5R, Somerville
💻 Livestream: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHet...

Discover breath, mantra, sound & koan practice—ending in pure awareness.
#Zen #Meditation #Mindfulness

YouTube video by Zen Art Center | Mind Light Way School of Zen

Zen Mind & Consciousness: Love, Creation, & The Nature of Reality | ZEN ART CENTER | MIND LIGHT WAY

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Aug 28

The brain doesn’t explain the mystery of mind. 🧠✨

In this Dharma Talk & Meditation, we explore why consciousness is the foundation of reality — and what that means for love, compassion, and awakening.
📺 Watch the full talk:
youtu.be/PO-ZjmTR0yM

#Zen #DharmaTalk #Consciousness #Buddhism #Koan

YouTube video by Zen Art Center | Mind Light Way School of Zen

youtu.be

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Aug 18

🪷What are the Four Statements of Zen?🪷

“不立文字，教外别傳，直指人心，見性成佛。”

A new blog post explores their origin, translation, and meaning today.

"Directly pointing to the mind-heart..."

Read:
www.mindlightway.org/zen-history-...

#Zen #Bodhidharma #ZenBuddhism #Mindfulness #ZenHistory

PART 5 | The Four Statements of Zen — MIND LIGHT WAY

Explore the origin, meaning, and enduring relevance of the Four Statements of Zen—concise teachings pointing directly to the mind-heart beyond words.

Guided Zen Meditation: Breath, Mantra, Koan & AMA with a Zen Master| ZEN ART CENTER | MIND LIGHT WAY

1 1

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Aug 7

🪷 Live Zen Meditation + Q&A
Join us Thurs 8/7 @ 7 PM ET on YouTube!
• Breath & mantra practice
• Sound + pure awareness
• Koan meditation
• Moving meditation tips
Hosted by Zen Master Sebastian Rizzon

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lWO...
#Zen #Meditation #Mindfulness #Koan #Consciousness #ZenArtCenter

YouTube video by Zen Art Center | Mind Light Way School of Zen

News, events, and insight from the Zen Art Center and Mind Light Way School of Zen

1

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Aug 5

🍎 What does mind have to do with Zen?
This month’s newsletter explores the One Mind teaching of Bodhidharma & Mazu—through a seed, a tree, and a ripe apple.
Read & reflect:
www.zen-artcenter.com/so/35PXm62oq... #Mindfulness #Bodhidharma #OneMind

IN THE MOMENT...

www.zen-artcenter.com

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Jul 28

What did Bodhidharma really teach? 🪷

The Lidai Fabao Ji tells of silent mind-to-mind transmission, and a mysterious hand-and-fist koan.

Dive into the earliest full account of Bodhidharma in China 👇
🔗 www.mindlightway.org/zen-history-...

#Bodhidharma #Zen #Koan #Chan #ZenHistory

PART 4 | Bodhidharma in the Lidai Fabao Ji: Transmission, Gesture, and the Silent Seal — MIND LIGHT WAY

Discover the earliest full narrative of Bodhidharma in the Lidai Fabao Ji, an 8th-century Chan text that portrays him as a silent transmitter of awakening beyond words. Explore rare translations, hist...

The Nature of Compassion | THE ZEN ART CENTER | MIND LIGHT WAY

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Jul 22

Is compassion something learned, part of human nature, or something inherent in all of nature? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
youtu.be/1nyQIWB80vw
#zen #zenmaster #dharma #meditation #mind #compassion

YouTube video by Zen Art Center | Mind Light Way School of Zen

youtu.be

1

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Jul 21

Can you help someone who doesn't want help? How can you navigate a situation where you want to help someone, but they don't want help? Zen advice for anyone who has ever experienced this.
youtube.com/shorts/hLayX...
#zen #zenmaster #dharma #meditation #mind #compassion

Can You Help Someone Who Doesn't Want Help? | THE ZEN ART CENTER | MIND LIGHT WAY

YouTube video by Zen Art Center | Mind Light Way School of Zen

10-Minute Singing Bowl Guided Meditation to Clear Your Mind | THE ZEN ART CENTER | MIND LIGHT WAY

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Jul 20

A 10-minute guided meditation for daily practice. Use the sound of the singing bowl as the mantra for your meditation. Allow the sound to push out all of your thoughts and clear your mind.
youtu.be/tPEiH4pOgTs

#zen #zenmaster #meditation #mind #spirituality #singingbowl #mantra #soundmeditation

YouTube video by Zen Art Center | Mind Light Way School of Zen

youtu.be

1

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Jul 19

What is the mind before thought?
Dive into this question in this month’s Dharma Talk on Zen, mind and consciousness!
There were some livestream issues—but the clean, uninterrupted version is now up:
📺 www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYQM...
#Zen #Mindfulness #DharmaTalk #Consciousness #OneMind #Buddhism

One Mind: Zen, Awareness, and the Nature of Consciousness | ZEN ART CENTER | MIND LIGHT WAY

YouTube video by Zen Art Center | Mind Light Way School of Zen

One Mind: Zen, Awareness, and the Nature of Consciousness | ZEN ART CENTER | MIND LIGHT WAY

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Jul 17

🌱 Everything begins with a seed in your mind.

Each thought, intention, or question you hold has the power to take root and grow.

What are you planting today?

🧘 Dharma Talk tonight at 7 PM ET
Join us live: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp0U...

#zen #mindfulness #meditation #planttheseed #intention

A softly textured Zen-style painting showing a seed gently falling into heart-shaped soil, glowing with golden light. The background fades from warm earth tones to deep blue, symbolizing potential and inner growth. Text reads: “Everything begins with a seed in your mind. What are you planting?

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Jul 16

🪷 Join Zen Master Sebastian for a Dharma Talk on Zen & the Nature of Mind 
🗓️ Thursday, July 18 | 7 PM ET 
📍 86 Joy St, Somerville MA 
🔴 Livestream: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp0U...
#Zen #Mindfulness #Buddhism #Consciousness #OneMind #Meditation

YouTube video by Zen Art Center | Mind Light Way School of Zen

The roots of Zen in India — MIND LIGHT WAY

1 1

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Jul 15

Where did Zen really begin?
Not in China or Japan—but under the Bodhi tree, and through centuries of Indian transmission. 🌏🧘

🔗 Read the full post:
www.mindlightway.org/zen-history-...

Discover the Indian roots of Zen—tracing its journey from the Buddha’s awakening under the Bodhi tree to the teachings of Bodhidharma and the rich oral traditions that shaped Chán. Explore key sutras,...

What if Someone Rejects Your Love? | THE ZEN ART CENTER | MIND LIGHT WAY

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Jul 11

What should you do if you want to help someone, but they reject your love and compassion? Zen advice for anyone who has ever experienced this.
#zen #zenmaster #dharma #meditation #mind #compassion #love
youtube.com/shorts/aFk_0...

YouTube video by Zen Art Center | Mind Light Way School of Zen

Zen History | Part 2 | Who Was Bodhidharma — MIND LIGHT WAY

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Jul 6

Who was Bodhidharma—the monk behind the Zen myth?
In this new Zen History post, we go back to the earliest records—original texts, new translations, and deep insight.
👇
www.mindlightway.org/zen-history-...

#Zen #Bodhidharma #Buddhism #Mahayana #Samadhi #History

Who was Bodhidharma—the shadowy monk credited with bringing Zen to China? Uncover what early sources really say about him. This post dives into the oldest historical records, offers original translati...

What is compassion? | THE ZEN ART CENTER | MIND LIGHT WAY

1 1

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Jul 6

What is compassion? What is the purpose of compassion in Zen and Buddhism?
#zen #zenmaster #dharma #meditation #mind #compassion
youtube.com/shorts/WEb0k...

YouTube video by Zen Art Center | Mind Light Way School of Zen

A Clear Mind is a Mirror | THE ZEN ART CENTER | MIND LIGHT WAY

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Jul 5

Meditation makes your mind clear. When your mind is clear like a mirror it reflects the true nature of everything.
#zen #zenmaster #dharma #meditation #mind #mindfulness
youtube.com/shorts/CGlc8...

YouTube video by Zen Art Center | Mind Light Way School of Zen

Art Meditation | THE ZEN ART CENTER | MIND LIGHT WAY

The Zen Art Center @zenartcenter.bsky.social · Jul 4

An artistic practice can be a form of moving meditation. Eventually, you can learn to meditate by focusing on any activity you do.
#zen #zenmaster #dharma #meditation #mind #mindfulness #art #artmeditation #flowstate
youtube.com/shorts/wD6WE...

YouTube video by Zen Art Center | Mind Light Way School of Zen