Zazen for Beginners Series: THREAD for QUESTIONS, COMMENTS

[Jundo]

Dear All,

Kindly post all comments, questions, impressions and objections regarding this Series and any of the videos in this thread. (I have had to do so to keep the lessons in sequence).

If refrencing a particular talk, it woud be nice to mention which one. Thank you so much.

BACK TO SERIES LINK

Gassho, Jundo

SatToday

[odiedoodie]

Zazen and kinhin while out and about.
Excellent idea, Jundo!
It's great that I will no longer be wasting time while just waiting, which happens every day.
Thank you for Treeleaf.
Jon T
SatToday

[Jakuden]

Listened to and SatToday with "acceptance without acceptance." Seemed appropriate today. I like the notes at the end. Gassho
Jakuden
SatToday


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[Tai Shi]

Zazen and Kinhin while in the waiting are of my doctor office seemed logical this afternoon. I waited a short time in an open area. I could have spent the time in Kinhin, and in the actual waiting room where I was to see my doctor, I sat quietly and practiced Zazen, Shikantaza, just sitting with my pain.

Tai Shi
sat today
Gassho

[Tai Shi]

My acceptance is always with my pain. If I accept there is no other way, as my doctor has told me and then it is easier to accept who and what I am. I am a man who will always lives with my practice which is pain, and then I forget myself as I have done in writing these sentences. My practice is pain, thank you Daizan for this suggestion, and I forget myself in pain, so does the pain really exist for me? Maybe since I have forgotten myself in pain of just writing, an thus there no contrast, thus no self, no pain.

Tai Shi
sat today
Gassho

[Mp]

My acceptance is always with my pain. If I accept there is no other way, as my doctor has told me and then it is easier to accept who and what I am. I am a man who will always lives with my practice which is pain, and then I forget myself as I have done in writing these sentences. My practice is pain, thank you Daizan for this suggestion, and I forget myself in pain, so does the pain really exist for me? Maybe since I have forgotten myself in pain of just writing, an thus there no contrast, thus no self, no pain.

Tai Shi
sat today
Gassho

Hello Tai Shi,

You are not pain and pain is not you. Pain doesn't make you Tai Shi, but how you manage such moments of pain/discomfort does. Pain is a condition within our lives and is different for each of us. Doing your best to accept and being present in such moments of discomfort can actually reduce that level of pain/discomfort ... it sounds like you are doing a great job at it. =)

Gassho
Shingen

s@today

[Kaisho]

Hello. I have a question about general practice. Just finished watching video 3. I use a timer to tell me when zazen is done but I have a habit of wanting to check it many times during practice I guess because I am impatient. Would there be a way to mitigate this that others found useful?
Thanks
Chelsea
Sat2day

[Seishin]

Hi SeaChel and welcome on your first post.

I've just started sitting with a timer a couple of months back. What I tend to do is have the timer set up to include a period for sitting down and getting my posture settled, before my actual sitting time begins. I then start the timer but put it on the floor so its behind me when I sit. That way I know I won't be able to see the count down/up from where I am and it ceases to be a distraction. However, there are still times when my concentration wanders and I start to think about how long I've been sitting or that it can't be much longer until the end - and I'm wishing to continue!

For info I've also just started using Insight Timer, which allows you to select a warm up period before the gong(s) start for "sitting". My old timer allowed multiple "sections" per session, so I used to have a 10s start/get ready (start timer session and put phone/tablet down) 1 min Preparation (sit down and get settled) xx min zazen.

Hope my limited experience is of use to you.

[Kyotai]

Let that need to keep checking be part of your practice. As Seishin-do said. Put it out of site, behind you. Keep returning to your sit and never mind that timer

Gassho, Kyotai
ST

[Mp]

Put it out of site, behind you. Keep returning to your sit and never mind that timer

And if your mind does go to the timer, recognize that, and bring your mind home (back to your zazen). If it happens again, rinse and repeat ... over time you will no longer remember the timer is there. =)

Gassho
Shingen

s@today

[Kenshou]

I have just finished the Zazen for beginners and the Buddha basics series' and have to say thank you for the amazing work you are doing through Tree leaf.
To be able to access talks and teaching on Buddhism from where I live is awesome in the true sense of the word.
I am still getting the hang of the technology side of things, especially on Google+ and hangouts; but I will get there and join in the sits and participate more in the near future.

One question I do have is, are you only supposed to write "sat today" if you have done so online?

Gassho
Patrick

[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

[Shokai]

Patrick

gassho, Shokai

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~

[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