Zen battles

"One of the key tenets of the Zen school of Mahayana Buddhism is that each of us is already a Buddha -- our enlightenment is inherent within us and the practice of mindfulness is the tool to bring this truth to our awareness. While it can bring much relief, this simple statement does not preclude the need for practice. We must strive to be aware of our Buddha nature rather than waiting until times of emotional upheaval when it is more difficult to practice. Thich Nhat Hanh uses the teachings of ninth century Zen Master Linji, founder of the Rinzai school, to elaborate on this simple truth and…