Zazen for Beginners Series: THREAD for QUESTIONS, COMMENTS

[AdamH]

Love it!

[Jundo]

Yep, I was asking regarding this tradition's feelings on public display. Goenka (Vipassana) for instance cautions against meditating in public in an obvious manner, eyes closed and one of the cross leg postures, but does encourage meditating any time in a non-obvious way.

Hi Tom,

I don't think it is a matter of public display or not. Certainly, we do not try to be a spectacle in order to feel how special or spiritual we are personally. I often sit in public spaces, such as a park bench or on a train, but I do not try to be a spectacle. When on the train, I do not crawl into the Lotus Posture (that would certainly bother the person sitting next to me), but just put my hands together over my lap and sit ... until I reach my stop.

On the other hand, if somebody happens to see me sitting in Lotus under a tree in a park (I do sometimes), it might inspire somebody. In that case, it is not about me, but is helpful to inspire them to sit.

There has been a movement to engage in public sittings for Peace, a kind of Zen "sit in", and I support that. I tried to encourage that around here too (although I met with a surprising amount of resistance at the time). Our Sangha friend, Daiho Hilbert Roshi, is a practitioner. He earned it. I still feel that we should do that here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg1ArN--Wlo

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Myosha]

Please recall, Adam that since you are sitting in South Africa, you are sitting upside-down from the rest of us up here. Please be careful to hold on to something.

(Oh, wait, maybe it is us who are sitting on our heads!)



Gassho, J

SatToday

Hello,

The respect given to the "upside-down" image is incomparable. Please note: the Americas resemble a bird; India and Africa is flipping 'the bird' and Australia is shrugging, "It's all good."

Wonderful, thank you.


Gassho
Myosha
sat today

[Kyousui]

Yep, I was asking regarding this tradition's feelings on public display. Goenka (Vipassana) for instance cautions against meditating in public in an obvious manner, eyes closed and one of the cross leg postures, but does encourage meditating any time in a non-obvious way.

[Jundo]

Jundo, thank you for your wonderful videos. I loved Zazen for beginners 3.
Even though I had prior understood of all the information going in, I found your breakdown of posture and breathing to be indepth, fascinating and dare I say it, humourous!

Love it!
Gassho!

Adam

Please recall, Adam that since you are sitting in South Africa, you are sitting upside-down from the rest of us up here. Please be careful to hold on to something.

(Oh, wait, maybe it is us who are sitting on our heads!)



Gassho, J

SatToday

[AdamH]

Jundo, thank you for your wonderful videos. I loved Zazen for beginners 3.
Even though I had prior understood of all the information going in, I found your breakdown of posture and breathing to be indepth, fascinating and dare I say it, humourous!

Love it!
Gassho!

Adam

[Jundo]

What posture is (other than walking) is good for a busy etc area to do Zazen in?

Hi Tom,

If I understand your question, any balanced posture ... sitting, walking, standing, flying through the air ... is fine, although sitting is what we usually Practice, and walking in Kinhin. The point is some balanced stable posture where the body can be naturally forgotten and left from mind.

If you mean what is the best posture for Zazen in Times Square, I would say anything that does not cause people to trip over you, or you to wander into traffic causing damage to the front of a bus.

Not sure if that is what you were asking.

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Kyousui]

What posture is (other than walking) is good for a busy etc area to do Zazen in?

[Jundo]

Whenever I sit Shikantaza, my lower right leg "falls asleep". I sit in the Burmese position which works very well except for this. Will it get better after time or would some stretches before do the trick? (thought I will post it in here as this might be a common problem)

Gassho, Max
#sattoday

Hi Max,

As to legs falling asleep, this is usually pressure on the sciatic nerve, which can be alleviated by shifting the weight off that spot, and also sitting on the Zafu correctly so that it does not pinch the spot. It still happens to anyone sometimes, but have a look here:

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?13209-Pins-and-Needles&p=148838&viewfull=1#post148838

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Makkusu]

Whenever I sit Shikantaza, my lower right leg "falls asleep". I sit in the Burmese position which works very well except for this. Will it get better after time or would some stretches before do the trick? (thought I will post it in here as this might be a common problem)

Gassho, Max
#sattoday

[Jundo]

I just watched #6 today, and it really helped my understanding of Buddhism. For many years, I've been troubled by the idea that Buddhists are supposed to have no attachments whatsoever--even to right and wrong, or kindness. The idea of indifference to suffering or injustice left me with doubts whether Buddhism was really right for me.

This was a beautiful talk that helped me understand we can experience non-attachment simultaneously alongside our powerful attachments. In fact, it seems to me that by practicing total acceptance in shikantaza, what we are really doing is giving ourselves space to choose. Where I so easily run around reacting to problems and needs from a place of attachment, the experience of non-attachment and acceptance each day helps clear my mind so that I can respond to the outer world from a clarity of intention and acceptance in my inner world. I am finding that the more I sit zazen, the more easily I choose behavior rather than instinctively DO.

Is this a reasonable beginning-to-understand the teaching?

A good way to express tbings. One embodies choices and the Choiceless at once as one.

Gassho, Jundo in Sarnath

[M.C. Easton]

I just watched #6 today, and it really helped my understanding of Buddhism. For many years, I've been troubled by the idea that Buddhists are supposed to have no attachments whatsoever--even to right and wrong, or kindness. The idea of indifference to suffering or injustice left me with doubts whether Buddhism was really right for me.

This was a beautiful talk that helped me understand we can experience non-attachment simultaneously alongside our powerful attachments. In fact, it seems to me that by practicing total acceptance in shikantaza, what we are really doing is giving ourselves space to choose. Where I so easily run around reacting to problems and needs from a place of attachment, the experience of non-attachment and acceptance each day helps clear my mind so that I can respond to the outer world from a clarity of intention and acceptance in my inner world. I am finding that the more I sit zazen, the more easily I choose behavior rather than instinctively DO.

Is this a reasonable beginning-to-understand the teaching?

And Jessie--I'm right there with you. I plan to watch them all over again once I finish! Thank you so much for your beginner series, Jundo.
Gassho,
M.C.
#SatToday

[dod]

I am finding the beginner series so helpful (I watched them over a year ago and am re-watching them until the things I learn begin to stick). I also really appreciate your teaching style Jundo. You are funny and engaging

Gassho,
Jessie
~sat today~

[Shokai]

Patrick

gassho, Shokai

satToday

[Amelia]

Hello Patrick,

Jundo encourages us not to post unless we have sat in the past twenty-four hours, so we write, "sat today" as an indication that we have done so. It does not have to be an online sit.

Gassho, sat today