Harpeony

Sometimes feelings don’t emerged as words. They unfold in shapes and colors 🎨

Where yarrow blooms, wounds heal 💛

Historically known as the master of the blood and wound healer, yarrow has been used to regulate blood flow - stopping bleeding, healing wounds, soothing bruises, and balancing circulation ❤️‍🩹

Emotionally, yarrow helps mend old wounds of the heart and brings balance during times of transition 💫

We both went food shopping this week:

Me: fruits and vegetables for my whole foods diet 🥦🍇🥑

Mom: alcohol. Just alcohol 🥂🍸

Join us for Wine & Write at next Saturday evening! An evening to relax, reflect, and meet new friends 🍷📒

Date: Saturday, January 25, 2025

Time: 7:00-8:30 PM

Details and registration: https://www.harpeony.com/upcoming-events/reflective-journaling-circle-tmmkp-bkt97-cxkj6-22lyc-fppdj-jzjmm-9c6lj-zbbzy-gycgz

It’s looking a lot like Christmas 🎄

𝟱 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 📙𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Here’s a selection of Chan/Zen and meditation-related books 📖. These books aren’t easy to understand, but they offer crucial concepts and direction for spiritual awakening. The last one is written by me 😊.
Reminder: The process of awakening is not a pleasant experience. The reality you have taken for granted will collapse. Awakening is a metaphysical death and rebirth, allowing you to return to your true nature. However, once you’ve made it through, you’ll feel tremendous clarity and ease, laughing at the self-imposed troubling thoughts you once had.

1️⃣ Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing by Jed McKenna
This book will shatter your understanding of reality and enlightenment. Awakening or enlightenment is not about becoming a better or happier person, nor about meditation, prayer, chanting, yoga, vegetarianism, following a guru, or purifying yourself. Enlightenment is about realizing the truth, undergoing a profound transformation, and breaking free from the illusions of conceptual frameworks. McKenna’s work will challenge everything you’ve known, dismantling your sense of self, waking you from the dream, and guiding you into a new paradigm.

2️⃣ U.G. KRISHNAMURTI (Note: NOT Jiddu Krishnamurti)
U.G. is an intriguing figure. Many books about him are edited recordings of his talks by students, as he had no interest in publishing anything himself. Many spiritually awakened or enlightened beings actually dislike the term “enlightenment” since it’s not a goal to achieve or attain, but rather a “natural state.” U.G. coined this term, which better captures the essence of awakening.
Buddhism describes awakening as “reaching the other shore,” but U.G. says, “I’m on the same shore; there’s no river to cross, and no ferryman needed!” Awakening is simply like clouds dispersing to reveal the sun. His words can be cryptic and difficult to grasp, but like Zen koans, they strike like lightning, suddenly making sense when the time is right.

3️⃣ The Treatise on the Bloodline of the Dharma by Bodhidharma
When it comes to Chan/Zen, The Treatise on the Bloodline of the Dharma and The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch are essential. This treatise encapsulates the essence of Zen: “Directly point to the mind, see your true nature, and become a Buddha.”
Your mind, your nature, and Buddha-nature are your true essence. People fail to recognize this and instead seek externally, projecting beliefs and chasing goals, leading to a life of endless busyness and confusion.
“Deluded beings do not realize that their own mind is Buddha, so they seek externally. Day and night, they busy themselves; chanting and worshiping, but where is Buddha? One should not hold such views. Simply know your own mind; there is no Buddha outside of it.”
Quick note: Chan is widely known as Zen Buddhism. However, Zen is the Japanese branch of Chan, originally rooted in China.

4️⃣ The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch by Huineng
While there are some contradictions in The Platform Sutra, these are likely due to later misinterpretations. Cross-referencing it with The Treatise on the Bloodline of the Dharma, U.G. Krishnamurti, and Jed McKenna reveals shared insights and similar experiences of awakening.

5️⃣ Heart, So Close, Yet So Far: From Healing to Awakening (Written by me, Chinese version published, English translation in progress 😊)
A soul adrift in the human world, navigating the winding journey of the heart in search of itself, asking, “Who am I, really?” This book delves into two major themes: healing and awakening. Healing comes through untangling the knots of inner conflict and finding inner peace, while awakening is the liberation from illusory constructs and breaking free from self-imposed frameworks—a return to your true essence.
This book integrates insights from neuroscience, psychology, clinical practice, philosophy, and Chan teachings. It deconstructs the traps of duality, illusion, and cognitive patterns. Through thorough analysis and compelling evidence, it offers a fresh perspective and guidance to break free from limiting frameworks.
This is a map for your soul—it cannot bypass the challenges of the journey or walk the path on your behalf. However, it offers signposts and beacons of light for those navigating the rugged terrain of spiritual growth. May it help to part the clouds and illuminate your way, step by step, as you journey toward the home within.