Buddha In Blue Jeans An Extremely Short Simple Zen Guide to Sitting Quietly by Tai Sheridan *** Published by Tai

Sheridan at Smashwords Copyright 2 !! Tai Sheridan Smashwords Edition" #i$ense %otes Than& you 'or downloading this 'ree e(oo&) *ou are wel$ome to share it with your 'riends) This boo& may be reprodu$ed" $opied and distributed 'or non+$ommer$ial purposes" pro,ided the boo& remains in its $omplete original 'orm) -' you en.oyed this boo&" please return to Smashwords)$om to dis$o,er other wor&s by this author) Than& you 'or your support)

Books by Tai Sheridan http/00www)TaiSheridan)$om http/00www)(uddha-n(lue1eans)$om Buddha in Blue Jeans (uddha in (lue 1eans/ An Extremely Short Zen Guide to (eing (uddha (uddha in (lue 1eans/ Se$rets o' True 2appiness Buddhist Classics in Modern Verse Ebooks Celestial 3usi$/ Sutras o' Emptiness The Lotus / Diamond / Heart-Wisdom / Loving Kindness Sutras The (are (ones 4hammapada/ (ig 3ind (ig #o,e Buddha's Essential Teachings The (uddha$arita/ A 3odern Se5uel The Poetic Saga of Buddha's Life rom Birth to Enlightenment The Zen 6heel o' #i'e 3antra/ A Song o' #uminous 6isdom and #o,e Based on the Bhavaca!ra - The Wheel of Life "andala Zen Classics in Modern Verse Ebooks The #ight o' the An$ient (uddhas/ (allads o' Emptiness and Awa&ening Based on Kei#an's Transmission of the Light 7i$e Eyes/ Enlightenment in 4ogen8s 9it$hen $ %oetic version of Dogen's Ten#o K&o!un on enlightened living and %ractice Snow :alling in 3oonlight/ ;des in Praise o' 4ogen8s Shobogen<o T'elve Poems (ased on Dogen's Sho(ogen#o)The Treasur& of the True Dharma E&e 6arm Zen Pra$ti$e/ A Poeti$ =ersion o' 4ogen8s (endowa Whole Hearted Wa& Collections (uddha8s #ight (ody/ Colle$ted 6or&s o' Tai Sheridan Patan.ali > *oga Sutras in #ingo/ The #iberation o' Spirit in 3odern 3etaphors

Dedication To the Great Silen$e

#isten to the sound o' silen$e) Paul Simon

Contents -ntrodu$tion Sit Quietly Care :or *our (ody A$$ept *our :eelings Gi,e Thoughts 7oom Pain is %atural (e 6ho *ou Are #i,e Ea$h 3oment 6ell #o,e -ndis$riminately #isten to ;thers (e Surprised 6onder #i,e Grate'ully 4o %o 2arm (ene'it #i'e A 6ish 'or The 6orld About The Author

Introduction This is an extremely short" simple" and straight 'orward boo&) -t is a uni,ersal guide to the pra$ti$e o' sitting 5uietly and being yoursel'" whi$h is the same as being (uddha) Sitting 5uietly $an tea$h you many ways to a$$ept li'e" meet pain" age gra$e'ully" and die without regret) - wrote this boo& 'or one reason/ to en$ourage you to sit 5uietly e,ery day) Please en.oy being (uddha in (lue 1eans/ a person o' presen$e" openness" lo,e" and bene'it) Tai Sheridan 9ent'ield" Cali'ornia 2 !!

Sit Quietly This is the most important Zen pra$ti$e) -t is the $lassroom 'or li,ing a wise and &ind li'e) Sit anywhere and be 5uiet/ on a $ou$h" a bed" a ben$h" inside" outside" leaning against a tree" by a la&e" at the o$ean" in a garden" on an airplane" in your o''i$e $hair" on the 'loor" in your $ar) 3editation $ushions are o&ay too) Sit at any time/ morning" night" one minute" three years) 6ear what you8,e got on) #oosen your waist so that your belly $an mo,e with your breath) Sit as relaxed as possible) 7elax your mus$les when starting and during sitting) Sit with your ba$& straight but not sti'') 9eep your head upright with your ears le,el) 7espe$t all medi$al $onditions) ;nly ta&e a posture you $an) All postures are o&ay) 4o what you $an do) 9eep your eyes slightly opened and out o' 'o$us) Closing them will ma&e you sleepy and sometimes busy) ;pening them wide will &eep you busy) (reathe naturally through your nose) En.oy breathing) :eel your breath) 6at$h your breath) (e$ome your breath) (e li&e a $at purring) :ollow your breath li&e o$ean wa,es $oming in and out) 6hen you get distra$ted" $ome ba$& to the simplest and most basi$ experien$e o' being ali,e"

your breathing) That8s it) %o belie') %o program) %o dogma) *ou do not ha,e to be (uddhist) *ou $an be o' any 'aith" religion" ra$e" nationality" gender" relationship status" or $apa$ity) 1ust sit 5uietly" $onne$t with your breath" and pay attention to what happens) *ou will learn things) 4o it when you want) *ou de$ide how mu$h is enough 'or you) -' you do it daily" it will get into your bones) Please en.oy sitting 5uietly? The only way to learn sitting 5uietly is to do it)

Care :or *our (ody *our body is your li'e) Please ta&e good $are o' it) -nhabit your body) #i,e gently inside o' it) (e$ome best 'riends with it) 2urt your body as little as possible) *ou will be surprised by the ways in whi$h you are not $onne$ted to your body) This is li'elong learning) Sleep well and enough) Eat well and not too mu$h) 3o,e and stret$h enough) A$$ept and ta&e $are o' your medi$al di''i$ulties) *ou &now what your body needs to be healthy and ali,e) Please en.oy ta&ing $are o' your body? *ou will learn this sitting 5uietly)

Accept Your eelin!s *our 'eelings are your heart and gut response to the world) E,erything you 'eel is o&ay) :eelings $an be di''i$ult) A$$ept your 'eelings) Sometimes you $an trust them as honest responses to people and e,ents) Sometimes you $an8t trust them" they are rea$tions to people and e,ents) 9eep sorting this out) *our 'eelings will tell you what you really need) #earn to be gra$ious with your unmet needs) 9indly as& 'or what you want) 7espe$t e,erybody8s right to say yes or no to your needs) Gi,e up sel' $enteredness as mu$h as possible) Please en.oy your 'eelings? *ou will learn this sitting 5uietly)

"i#e Thou!hts $oo% *our thoughts are .ust your thoughts) They are not your li'e) They are your thoughts) 3a&e a room as big as the s&y in your mind) *our thoughts $an be $louds that 'loat through) Some o' your thoughts are $lear) Some o' your thoughts are muddy) (elie' is .ust thought) An open mind isn8t atta$hed to thin&ing or belie') Thoughts $an be a .ail) 6at$hing them $oming and going lets you out to play in the uni,erse) Please en.oy wat$hing your thoughts $ome and go? *ou will learn this sitting 5uietly)

&ain is 'atural Pain is a natural part o' li'e) #earn to a$$ept it) #earn to ta&e $are o' it as best you $an) 4e$rease the $omplaining) 4e$rease the sel'+$enteredness around it) E,erybody has pain) (reathe and relax into the pain as best you $an) Please a$$ept natural pain? *ou will learn this sitting 5uietly)

Be (ho You Are 4on8t waste your li'e trying to be$ome somebody else) 4on8t waste your li'e trying to li,e up to your per'orman$e expe$tations) 4on8t waste your li'e imitating others) 4on8t waste your li'e li,ing out other people8s expe$tations) 4on8t waste your li'e en,ious o' other people) (e authenti$) (e genuine) (e real) (e yoursel') *ou won the lottery" you were born) *ou won the lottery" you are you) *ou are (uddha in (lue 1eans) En.oy being yoursel'? *ou will learn this sitting 5uietly)

)i#e Each Mo%ent (ell %ow is all you8,e got) The past is memory) The 'uture is wish) %ow is real* 9eep bringing yoursel' ba$& to now) Get $onne$ted to your body now) Get $onne$ted to the earth now) Get $onne$ted to this pla$e now) Get $onne$ted to people now) Get $onne$ted to whate,er is in 'ront o' you now) En.oy li,ing ea$h moment well?

)o#e Indiscri%inately This is (ig #o,e) The ob.e$t o' your lo,e doesn8t matter) *ou are lo,e) #o,e so+$alled pretty things and so+$alled ugly things) #o,e 'amiliar things and un'amiliar things) #o,e people you li&e and don8t li&e) The o$ean o' lo,e 'lows e,erywhere) E,erything in the uni,erse is you) #o,ing e,erything is lo,ing you) #o,ing you is lo,ing e,erything) There are no walls in the world o' lo,e) En.oy lo,ing indis$riminately? *ou will learn this sitting 5uietly)

)isten to +thers #istening to others a''irms them" blesses them" $onne$ts you to them" and harmoni<e you with them) #isten without an agenda) #isten without expe$tations) #isten to the words) #isten to the experien$e behind the words) #isten to body postures and expressions) #isten to emotional tone) #isten without ta&ing it personally) #istening gets you out o' your sel' $entered $amp) #istening is &indness) En.oy listening to others? *ou will learn this sitting 5uietly)

Be Surprised E,ery moment is a surprise) E,erything that happens is a surprise) E,ery experien$e is 'resh) E,ents are not your ideas about them) 3eet the world without expe$tations) En.oy being surprised? *ou will learn this sitting 5uietly)

(onder The world is wonder) -n wonder e,erything is $onne$ted) -n wonder you are open) -n wonder you are 'ree) -n wonder you are happy) En.oy wonder? *ou will learn this sitting 5uietly)

)i#e !rate,ully *ou were gi,en the gi't o' li'e) (e grate'ul 'or this ama<ing gi't) E,erything is a gi't) (e grate'ul 'or e,erything) En.oy li,ing grate'ully) *ou will learn this sitting 5uietly)

Do 'o -ar% 4o your best to do no harm) 2arm happens be$ause we are human) :orgi,e others their harm) :orgi,e yoursel' when you harm) 9eep doing your best to do no harm) *ou will learn this sitting 5uietly)

Bene,it li,e Gi,e yoursel' to li'e) Gi,e yoursel' to 'amily) Gi,e yoursel' to so$iety) Gi,e yoursel' to others) Gi,e yoursel' to $reati,ity) Gi,e yoursel' to the earth) Gi,e yoursel' to humanity) Gi,e yoursel' to spirituality) Gi,e yoursel' to things that matter) (ene'it all li'e and bring happiness) En.oy bene'iting li'e? *ou will learn this sitting 5uietly)

A (ish ,or The (orld 3ay All (eings (e 2appy? 3ay All (eings (e ;ne? 3ay All (eings (e Pea$e'ul *ou will learn this sitting 5uietly) ***

About the Author Tai Sheridan is a poet" philosopher" and Zen priest) 2e trans'orms an$ient (uddhist and Zen texts into a$$essible and inspirational ,erses) 2e also writes about (uddha in (lue 1eans) Tell a ,riend about this book Vie. %ore books by Tai Sheridan/ &h*D* Connect .ith Tai email/ tai@taisheridan)$om 7eturn to Top ***