Zazen for Beginners Series: THREAD for QUESTIONS, COMMENTS

[newby_x86]

Thank you for the reply Jundo and Shingen.

At work, I'd taken to doing kinhin with just hands behind the back, I feared the shashu mudra may attract a little too much attention! (Not an excuse, just some context) I'll learn to swing it both ways between work and home.

Thanks again!
Gassho,
Anant
Sat

[Jundo]

Hi Anant

I am curious if you know of any way of traditional holding the hands in India like Shashu in China, or use of that mudra in Indian / Hindu traditional art. I am wondering if it was a Chinese thing, or has Indian roots.

Gassho J

SatTodayLah

[newby_x86]

Umm, the only bit of tradition that we do get to see around here every day that may be familiar to everyone is Namaste or Hands in Gassho. Other than that, in the form of everyday greetings or the use of hands in general, I don't think I've seen anything besides. (for walking or while sitting)

I should mention that I live in the city and haven't had a great deal of exposure beyond there parts so please forgive my ignorance there.

Gassho,
Anant
Sat

[Jundo]

Just out of curiosity, I looked to see if I could find anything similar in Indian Yoga mudra. Not exactly the same, because the left hand in facing outward, but the "Ganesh Mudra" seems rather similar. I have no idea if there is a relationship in origin. It may just be coincidence, because it seems a rather natural way to lock the hands.

https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/ganesha-mudra

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

[newby_x86]

That's interesting. There are far too many of those mudras but can't say I've seen that one in use before.

Gassho,
Anant
Sat

[SNPII]

Thanks to all! I have reached out in PM to some with personal commentary. Does anyone know of a better way to be notified about posts I’m participating and such when mobile? For now I have just been going to the my profile section and clicking on the posts it says I’ve commented on. it is also a bit challenging to utilize and stay on top of this forum on my mobile devices, but they are so much a part of my life than 5ey should be, but still a reality.

Sattoday

Shane

[Mp]

Thanks to all! I have reached out in PM to some with personal commentary. Does anyone know of a better way to be notified about posts I’m participating and such when mobile? For now I have just been going to the my profile section and clicking on the posts it says I’ve commented on. it is also a bit challenging to utilize and stay on top of this forum on my mobile devices, but they are so much a part of my life than 5ey should be, but still a reality.

Sattoday

Shane

Hey Shane,

Yes you can. If you go into your profile on Tapatalk (see attached image), then goto "settings", then under your "push notifications" and "email notifications" yoi can set what you want to be notified about.

Let me know if this helps. =)

Gassho
Shingen

Sat/LAH

[Geika]

Choosing to hold your hands behind your back to eschew tradition is the same as holding your hands in the mudra to embrace tradition. No matter which, a choice is being made, thought of, mulled over, decided, questioned, etc. Choosing to simply follow the rituals whether we know what the significance is yet or not removes the questioning from the action, which I feel is the point.

Gassho, sat today, lah

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Jundo]

Choosing to hold your hands behind your back to eschew tradition is the same as holding your hands in the mudra to embrace tradition. No matter which, a choice is being made, thought of, mulled over, decided, questioned, etc. Choosing to simply follow the rituals whether we know what the significance is yet or not removes the questioning from the action, which I feel is the point.

Gassho, sat today, lah

I agree with this.

Unless one is being asked to jump off a high cliff, sleep with the "teacher" or do some other really harmful action, or to become a spiritual Zombie, there is great beauty in this Practice of leaving your personal preferences, likes and dislikes, at the door and just throwing oneself into an activity. It is an important part of Zen, and most Eastern religious, Practices.

(Of course, nobody will be asked that around here to do anything harmful or become a zombie, and run from any group or guru that asks that ... and there are quite a few, including a couple of Zen groups (Joshu Sasaki, Eido Shimano and some others) who went that bad way. We just had a discussion of two such groups):

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?16066-Andrew-Cohen-Surviving-A-Cult&p=221174&viewfull=1#post221174

Gassho, Jundo

SatTodayLAH

[Geika]

Thanks, Jundo. I forgot to throw in that important bit!

I am personally very minimal on ritual, but I only became that way after a few years of getting them in my muscle memory.

The result of that is sometimes shashu while walking to the fridge, bowing to the toilet, and sometimes just sitting straight on the cushion for zazen and not bowing or doing any ritual until after the bell, or even at all. Sometimes I chant the Heart Sutra without thinking, and sometimes before or after sitting. I really just kind of go with how practice strikes me at each moment. I enjoy it all and have a great love of zen ritual as a practice, even the long form stuff. It merges with my more fluid daily life in a way that becomes natural with time. And I'm always ready for a formal zazenkai, robes and all.

Gassho, sat today, lah

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Jundo]

I am personally very minimal on ritual, but I only became that way after a few years of getting them in my muscle memory.

The result of that is sometimes shashu while walking to the fridge, bowing to the toilet, and sometimes just sitting straight on the cushion for zazen and not bowing or doing any ritual until after the bell, or even at all. Sometimes I chant the Heart Sutra without thinking, and sometimes before or after sitting. I really just kind of go with how practice strikes me at each moment. I enjoy it all and have a great love of zen ritual as a practice, even the long form stuff. It merges with my more fluid daily life in a way that becomes natural with time. And I'm always ready for a formal zazenkai, robes and all.

Gassho, sat today, lah

Yep, me too.

Gassho, J

SatTodayLah

[Mp]

Thanks, Jundo. I forgot to throw in that important bit!

I am personally very minimal on ritual, but I only became that way after a few years of getting them in my muscle memory.

The result of that is sometimes shashu while walking to the fridge, bowing to the toilet, and sometimes just sitting straight on the cushion for zazen and not bowing or doing any ritual until after the bell, or even at all. Sometimes I chant the Heart Sutra without thinking, and sometimes before or after sitting. I really just kind of go with how practice strikes me at each moment. I enjoy it all and have a great love of zen ritual as a practice, even the long form stuff. It merges with my more fluid daily life in a way that becomes natural with time. And I'm always ready for a formal zazenkai, robes and all.

Gassho, sat today, lah

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

I too like this Geika, thank you. =)

Gassho
Shingen

Sat/LAH

[Meitou]

Thanks, Jundo. I forgot to throw in that important bit!

I am personally very minimal on ritual, but I only became that way after a few years of getting them in my muscle memory.

The result of that is sometimes shashu while walking to the fridge, bowing to the toilet, and sometimes just sitting straight on the cushion for zazen and not bowing or doing any ritual until after the bell, or even at all. Sometimes I chant the Heart Sutra without thinking, and sometimes before or after sitting. I really just kind of go with how practice strikes me at each moment. I enjoy it all and have a great love of zen ritual as a practice, even the long form stuff. It merges with my more fluid daily life in a way that becomes natural with time. And I'm always ready for a formal zazenkai, robes and all.

Gassho, sat today, lah

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Both of your posts here really resonate. Beautiful words Geika, thank you.
Gassho
Meitou
Satwithyoualltoday

[SNPII]

Many thanks for the cloud reference and seeing through them at some point in practice. I cannot say I see through them completely quite yet, but I do have an appreciation now as to the clouds and crystal clear blue luminescent sky co existing! It brings joy!

Sat2daymanyX's

In Sincerity
Shane

[Shinshi]

Choosing to hold your hands behind your back to eschew tradition is the same as holding your hands in the mudra to embrace tradition. No matter which, a choice is being made, thought of, mulled over, decided, questioned, etc. Choosing to simply follow the rituals whether we know what the significance is yet or not removes the questioning from the action, which I feel is the point.

Gassho, sat today, lah

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH