Opening the Hand of Thought - Chapter 4

[Jundo]

We are with Opening the Hand of Thought - Chapter 4 "The World of Intensive Practice" ...

I believe this chapter so nicely captures the feeling of long Sesshin. In the Antaiji-Uchiyama style, the emphasis is on pure sitting with only meals and sleep as breaks. I also see the worth of retreats with other aspects, such as a bit of chanting and some talks. All good.

The chapter captures so well the inner switches one has to turn a difficult, tedious, sometimes painful experience into smooth flowing peace.

I often write this in recommending folks, if they can make it possible, to sit a long retreat of at least a few days each year (although not everyone can) ...

We sit with what is, our life circumstances. If in a hospital bed, a wheelchair, on a golden throne or a cloud ... that is what is, practice there. If one truly cannot attend a retreat or Sesshin, then that is life ... just what is. Sesshin is important and not to be missed ... but also times of taking two weeks nursing a sick relative in the hospital can be our "Sesshin" ... practice that. Pierce that "just what is" to the depthless depths!

Or, in more mundane words ... one does not need to go away to tennis camp to play tennis. 8)

Now, retreats and Sesshin (sleep away tennis camp) are a very good environment. If you can swing it, ideally, at least one (1) longer Retreat or 'Sesshin' of a few days or a week in length, sitting from before dawn to late at night ... each year is greatly recommended.

Now, someone might ask too, "if each moment is all time and space, what is the purpose of an intensive Sesshin?" Well, I often say that, sometimes, we need to practice a bit long and hard, morning to night ... sitting and wrestling with 'me, my self and I' ... all to achieve nothing to attain! Going to Retreats, Sesshin and such is a powerful facet of this Practice and not to be missed.

So, saying that "I'm too busy and cannot find the time or money" is one thing ... if it is truly true. If truly true, then sit with that to the depthless depths. But if it is only a matter that "I am saving my money for a new ipod and prefer a vacation at the beachfront hotel" ... or is just plain lazy or intimidated ... get thy butt to Sesshin!

A question or two I might suggest (or you can talk about anything that strikes you):

If you have been on retreat, what impact if any did it have on you?

If you cannot get away on retreat, can you find some of what Uchiyama describes in your daily life, with its own struggles?

Gassho, Jundo

SatToday

[Banto]

I happen to love toys
The nearest local sangha Zen Center of Denver (Diamond) has sesshins at times that I have work engagements. But I have been contemplating doing a few-day personal retreat just sitting, chanting and perhaps oryoki. Is this advisable to do a sesshin solo?

Otherwise perhaps we can orchestrate a Google sesshin this year?

Gassho
Rodney/Banto SatToday

[Joyo]

Jundo, I like your analogy of taking care of a sick relative in the hospital as being our "sesshin." In this way, once again, life becomes our practice and all of life is our temple.

I will post more after I read this chapter. =)

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today

[Jundo]

I happen to love toys
The nearest local sangha Zen Center of Denver (Diamond) has sesshins at times that I have work engagements. But I have been contemplating doing a few-day personal retreat just sitting, chanting and perhaps oryoki. Is this advisable to do a sesshin solo?

Otherwise perhaps we can orchestrate a Google sesshin this year?

Gassho
Rodney/Banto SatToday

Hi Rodney,

Well, a "solo retreat" is very traditional (see the many poems about Zen folks in their little grass hut in the mountains). Of course, the experience is different from being with a group of people in a formal setting.

Somewhere in between, our annual Two-Day Rohatsu Retreat, available for sitting all year round!!

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?13965-TREELEAF-SANGHA-online-2-DAY-ANGO-JUKAI-ROHATSU-RETREAT-2015-%28MAIN-PAGE%29&highlight=rohatsu+waza

Now for any retreat at home, and especially a "solo" retreat, remember that it can be surprisingly stressful for folks of delicate constitution ... not quite self-imposed "maximum security solitary confinement" , but in that general direction. Be careful about overdoing if susceptible to such things.

Gassho, Jundo

SatToday (alone)

[Jakuden]

This is one of those situations where I've read too much about swimming and not done enough swimming. I've been reading about sesshin for 25 years now and you can definitely put me in the "intimidated" category, so it is time to get my butt onto a monastery cushion... I signed up for the Introductory weekend at Zen Mountain Monastery in February, which is a prerequisite for attending a sesshin there. I was not at all sure I could do the Rohatsu retreat, but found that the single-minded devotion to practice in silence for the weekend made it do-able.... But, it makes sense that during a prolonged sesshin you must drop all resistance, and struggle, and thoughts of time.

Gassho,
Jakuden
SatToday

[Jundo]

This is one of those situations where I've read too much about swimming and not done enough swimming. I've been reading about sesshin for 25 years now and you can definitely put me in the "intimidated" category, so it is time to get my butt onto a monastery cushion... I signed up for the Introductory weekend at Zen Mountain Monastery in February, which is a prerequisite for attending a sesshin there.

[Banto]

Thanks Jundo. Yes I didn't even think about the grass hut (great read, and the book about it) perhaps in the back of my mind wondered if though he did that way back when maybe it's discouraged or something. But alas, that was my projection LOL ... OK good to hear. I've wanted to do one for a while, I think I will in a few weeks perhaps. I'm grateful to have participated in our Treeleaf Rohatsu, and forgot that I could even sit with it again or prior years (that's very cool!).

But I'm also wondering about having a sesshin without talking and interaction and such. Not that such is bad, just a different experience. I found at Rohatsu I never quite got to the place where I struggled to quit sitting or leave, and I suspect it's because a part of me looked forward to samu or hearing a talk or oryoki or the next thing, so that kept me "entertained" for a lack of better words. I'm content doing nothing for long periods so I'm interested to be in that spot where certain things in our resistance are exhausted even the dosing off or other challenges and I'm left with me. I've understood others mention something along the lines of this in the value of sesshin so my own journey might be a solo one, at least once :O)

Do we do any other sesshins between annual Rohatsu?

Gassho,
Rodney Banto Sat2Day

[Byrne]

When I was 21 I booked a tour and went on the road for the first time. Within the first few days I noticed that when things went wrong (car troubles, personal problems with band members, sketchy people, etc) there was nothing else for us to do but deal with our problems. The feeling was liberating. At home I had nothing but distractions, but on the road with a job to do, I became less so. In the past 8 years I've personally driven about 500,000 miles around the US running a creative business with my wife. We have been through all manner of troubles. We have been stranded. One time we were stuck in New Orleans for a month and lost all our money. (I really don't want to go through that again if possible.) You know what we did? We dealt with life as it was and learned to drop expectations. With all this going on we didn't even consider the alternatives to what to expect from life.

Ive never done a sesshin. One of these days if and when the opportunity presents itself I would love to try it out. Based on what Uchiyama described it sounds like touring without moving around and is a whole lot quieter.

Gassho

Sat Today

[Joyo]

This is one of those situations where I've read too much about swimming and not done enough swimming. I've been reading about sesshin for 25 years now and you can definitely put me in the "intimidated" category, so it is time to get my butt onto a monastery cushion... I signed up for the Introductory weekend at Zen Mountain Monastery in February, which is a prerequisite for attending a sesshin there. I was not at all sure I could do the Rohatsu retreat, but found that the single-minded devotion to practice in silence for the weekend made it do-able.... But, it makes sense that during a prolonged sesshin you must drop all resistance, and struggle, and thoughts of time.

Gassho,
Jakuden
SatToday

Good for you =) Make sure you let us know how it goes.

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today

[Jundo]

Do we do any other sesshins between annual Rohatsu?

Gassho,
Rodney Banto Sat2Day

As of now, we have Rohatsu. But one amazing fact about our retreat is that, if you play it back to back ... the 2 days retreat becomes 4 days, 8 days, 16 days ... the winter retreat can be in summer ... the Talks become more profound and life changing each time one hears them (especially after 3 times) ... or you can reach back a few years and sit years ago ... or, one can decide to delete talks, meals and other sections and design one's own mix and match retreat, adding Zazen instead ... custom retreat made from component parts ...

I kid you not.

Gassho, J

[Ryo Do]

Having sat various sesshin and with different schools and teachers (Japanese and American Soto, Rinzai, Korean etc.) I can relate to Uchiyama's descriptions of experiences during week-long sittings (and it seems to me that Soto style sesshins offer a particularly pure version of boredom...), from deep boredom, even rebellious thoughts and impulses to get away from it all, to deep peace and flow after letting go - oftentimes for the rest of sesshin, though not always... but:
Firstly, I found I had to start all over with this process from zero every time, and secondly, it never carried over to my post-sesshin life for very long, I wasn't able to drop everything in everyday situations, instead, sooner or later (more sooner than later, actually) I found myself in the same old situations with my same old reactions. More like a sad waking up to my own ignorance and lack of realization in the sense of "making real".
So, I wonder if it's not partly due to the stark contrast between sesshin settings and my ordinary day-to-day life, that I could not keep the clarity and flow up for long - or is it just my desire to do so and my distinguishing too much between sesshin and non-sesshin times?
Does this make sense?
Anyway, it is precisely for the emphasis on integrating practice and life that I was so much attracted to Treeleaf!

Gassho
Ryo Do

sattoday

[Rick]

I am really enjoying this book. I have really wanted to attend a retreat for the last 10 years. Unfortunately, with young children, no zen center within close driving distance, and limited vacation days, it hasn't been possible. I'll get to one eventually!

Gassho,
Rick

sat today

[Jakuden]

Real-life sesshin:
--When you sit in the heat/cold/wind/rain for four hours at a sports event for five minutes of seeing your child perform.
--When you sit down to a big pile of paperwork and phone calls with chatty clients at the end of a long work day when you want to go home, eat, and see your family.
--When you come home after said work day and listen as enthusiastically as possible to your teenager prattle on about her friends for the rest of the evening.
--Also after said work day, when husband would like to chat in a slow and relaxed manner while mucking stalls at 8:30 PM in 15 degree weather and all you want to do is get the chores finished and get into your warm bed.

These are the times that the ego has a little tantrum, kicking and screaming, because life isn't giving it what it thinks it wants. Is it different than what the mind does when sitting sesshin after a few days? But the practice--the mirror polishing--is being there for the clients, the children, the husband--REALLY being there wholeheartedly, and letting the ego tantrum burn itself out like a flame without oxygen. I don't think a day goes by that isn't a mini-sesshin, in those terms.

Gassho,
Jakuden
SatToday

[Jishin]

Hi,

I don't go on retreats so that you can go in my place.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

[Ryo Do]

Wonderful, Jakuden! This is true integration, thank you for sharing your insightful observations.
So I guess I'll just smile and go on with this real-life sesshin, knowing that indeed it is not different from practice in a zendo - and when the next opportunity presents itself I'll gladly sit the next sesshin, too. No big difference, no big deal, indeed. Thank you again!
Deep bow
Ryo Do

Real-life sesshin:
--When you sit in the heat/cold/wind/rain for four hours at a sports event for five minutes of seeing your child perform.
--When you sit down to a big pile of paperwork and phone calls with chatty clients at the end of a long work day when you want to go home, eat, and see your family.
--When you come home after said work day and listen as enthusiastically as possible to your teenager prattle on about her friends for the rest of the evening.
--Also after said work day, when husband would like to chat in a slow and relaxed manner while mucking stalls at 8:30 PM in 15 degree weather and all you want to do is get the chores finished and get into your warm bed.

These are the times that the ego has a little tantrum, kicking and screaming, because life isn't giving it what it thinks it wants. Is it different than what the mind does when sitting sesshin after a few days? But the practice--the mirror polishing--is being there for the clients, the children, the husband--REALLY being there wholeheartedly, and letting the ego tantrum burn itself out like a flame without oxygen. I don't think a day goes by that isn't a mini-sesshin, in those terms.

Gassho,
Jakuden
SatToday