I feel this -- this is why zazen is so effective, and this relates to why it is so
difficult to remain on the cushion. If we are zazening -- then we face ourselves.
We are thrust into our thoughts. Chaotic day? chaotic zazen. Happy day? Happy zazen.
But at the same time, thoughts can be just thoughts, and zazen teaches us how not to be
led by them. So by sitting through the storms and the sun, by facing life head on, by
doing something we don't "want" allows us to become more resilient in facing life's ups and downs. What ups and downs from another perspective? But sure, some parts of life suck, but it becomes lighter. It's so much more of a burden when adding extra resistence.
It's like trying to swim completely flexed and rigid. It doesn't work. Life before zazen
could be like that; it still can, but ahhh... there just let go and dive into, not run away from, not grasp on to. I don't know how else to articulate it.
It's a complete living because we just live, without the chains. Of course, easier said than done; just the other day I was judging someone's character becuase they drove to "slow" for my "self's" wants. lol
Absolutely; it's the only way this works. For this to be real, each of us has to really
take ownership of this place as our Sangha. And based on my experience here, it's really
working. I think this is the perfect place to practice the precepts, the eightfold path, and live the way.
It's really cool that we can type our thoughts out. It gives us the opportunity to fully express ourselves, while being respectful, while practicing Right Typing
. It makes us think before we type.
Of course, this assumes that we are engaged and present to the topics that we are addressing, and I think we are; we really have some awesome forum posts and discussions around here.
Because of being dragged around by thoughts. By not wanting to face myself; to rather be distracted rather than facing all of it.
The more I practice, the more I feel overwhelmed, but not in a bad way. Sometimes I just feel such Gratitude and awe. Sometimes I feel this pure Joy. I don't chase that feeling in Shikantaza; it just sort of comes up, and I have to just sit with it. Its like this Joy has been here all along but I was too distracted to see it, even if I just get a taste for it.
But yeah, often times, my mind will try to sabotage me into doing things that produce quick hits, immediate gratification; those are bad and deeply ingrained habits. The ironic thing is by sitting with that, if I'm lucky enough to feel it, it provides ample ground for learning patience. I mean what better way to learn patience than by having to sit through a major grasp attack of wanting to get the hell off of the cushion to do something "more important" like watching Star Trek re-runs?
It's very powerful stuff, but like all of this practice, I'm the true boss of what. I get what I put in, whether that is in work, at Treeleaf, on the cushion.
But a good question I find is when are we ever off of the cushion anyway?
difficult to remain on the cushion. If we are zazening -- then we face ourselves.
We are thrust into our thoughts. Chaotic day? chaotic zazen. Happy day? Happy zazen.
But at the same time, thoughts can be just thoughts, and zazen teaches us how not to be
led by them. So by sitting through the storms and the sun, by facing life head on, by
doing something we don't "want" allows us to become more resilient in facing life's ups and downs. What ups and downs from another perspective? But sure, some parts of life suck, but it becomes lighter. It's so much more of a burden when adding extra resistence.
It's like trying to swim completely flexed and rigid. It doesn't work. Life before zazen
could be like that; it still can, but ahhh... there just let go and dive into, not run away from, not grasp on to. I don't know how else to articulate it.
It's a complete living because we just live, without the chains. Of course, easier said than done; just the other day I was judging someone's character becuase they drove to "slow" for my "self's" wants. lol
Absolutely; it's the only way this works. For this to be real, each of us has to really
take ownership of this place as our Sangha. And based on my experience here, it's really
working. I think this is the perfect place to practice the precepts, the eightfold path, and live the way.
It's really cool that we can type our thoughts out. It gives us the opportunity to fully express ourselves, while being respectful, while practicing Right Typing
. It makes us think before we type.Of course, this assumes that we are engaged and present to the topics that we are addressing, and I think we are; we really have some awesome forum posts and discussions around here.
Because of being dragged around by thoughts. By not wanting to face myself; to rather be distracted rather than facing all of it.
The more I practice, the more I feel overwhelmed, but not in a bad way. Sometimes I just feel such Gratitude and awe. Sometimes I feel this pure Joy. I don't chase that feeling in Shikantaza; it just sort of comes up, and I have to just sit with it. Its like this Joy has been here all along but I was too distracted to see it, even if I just get a taste for it.
But yeah, often times, my mind will try to sabotage me into doing things that produce quick hits, immediate gratification; those are bad and deeply ingrained habits. The ironic thing is by sitting with that, if I'm lucky enough to feel it, it provides ample ground for learning patience. I mean what better way to learn patience than by having to sit through a major grasp attack of wanting to get the hell off of the cushion to do something "more important" like watching Star Trek re-runs?
It's very powerful stuff, but like all of this practice, I'm the true boss of what. I get what I put in, whether that is in work, at Treeleaf, on the cushion.
But a good question I find is when are we ever off of the cushion anyway?
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