As Okumura roshi reminds us:


Magnanimous Mind is like an ocean or a mountain: calm and steady, yet accepting and nourishing countless beings and situations without differentiation. The ocean is serene because it accepts the many rivers without resisting.

Nurturing Mind, literally "old mind", is akin to the attitude of a kindly grandmother or parent who delights in caring for others. It is the spirit of the bodhisattva, the fully mature person.

Joyful Mind is the joy that comes from deep in our hearts even in the midst of difficulty. It arises from the insight of zazen, that we live together with all beings and are not separate.
Let me comment a bit. Let me leave a few dirty traces here and there.

Magnamious Mind is very spacious, vast and all pervading, ease is its nature, equanimity its body, it knows no bounds, in every situation or person met, the boundless is met; vast stillness and nothing sacred.

Nurturing mind is compassionnate. Not because we have to be, not because we enjoy it, not out of duty. Just like a tiger leaping, it is manifested without any thoughts of helping, loving without any sweet intoxication to love. There isn't any idea of I and you in this.

Joyful mind is the dance. It is the dynamic aspect of our original nature.


These three minds are said to be at the core of our practice according to Dogen. If by any chance you have already noticed that ...well... it was missing to yours :cry: : this is a very good sign :lol: ( everytime we open our eyes on what is imperfect in our practice, our bad weeds, it is a good sign). Just cultivate the will and intention to display the thre minds, and forget about them plunging into shikantaza.

Hope this helps.


gassho



Taigu