I meditate every day, now what?

[MalleableGirlParts]

This must be an exhausted topic, but maybe I haven't yet heard an answer in a way that quite resonated.

So I do meditate every day and that was certainly a goal in the beginning, but I feel that I'm waning. I don't attend anything in person due to time and inconvenience. And I'm not sure I'm growing in my practice. I want to implement more concrete experience in my life.

I do read what I can, but I don't necessarily feel like it's "studying" and helping my mindset. Maybe that's my failing in how I'm looking at these readings, but I'm looking for more "steps" in a sense. Not necessarily some Buddhist order of operations, but more of reminders of behavior.

I have decided to make a hand drawn/written page of the sixteen precepts to hang somewhere, but I'm wondering if there are creative ways that others use to remind themselves of their path?

Anyway, thanks in advance!

[Antonio]

Jenn, I am not a teacher, so consider this just a word of a friend.

To implement a concrete experience in your life, just go and live, laugh when need to laugh, cry when need to cry. The zazen is everything and everything is zazen. There is nowhere to go and nothing to do. Live here and now. This is the way.

Gassho!
SatLah

[Bion]

This must be an exhausted topic, but maybe I haven't yet heard an answer in a way that quite resonated.

So I do meditate every day and that was certainly a goal in the beginning, but I feel that I'm waning. I don't attend anything in person due to time and inconvenience. And I'm not sure I'm growing in my practice. I want to implement more concrete experience in my life.

I do read what I can, but I don't necessarily feel like it's "studying" and helping my mindset. Maybe that's my failing in how I'm looking at these readings, but I'm looking for more "steps" in a sense. Not necessarily some Buddhist order of operations, but more of reminders of behavior.

I have decided to make a hand drawn/written page of the sixteen precepts to hang somewhere, but I'm wondering if there are creative ways that others use to remind themselves of their path?

Anyway, thanks in advance!

Fair and common question, Jenn.
I was particularly drawn by your phrase there ¨I want to implement more concrete experience in my life.¨ The thing is, zazen, is concrete experience. In zazen we experience this, here, now, as it is, us and the lack of selves, the oneness, the emptiness and separations, we experience thoughts forming, emotions arising, noise transforming into sounds, lights transforming into vision. There is nothing about zazen that is not bursting with concrete experience. I think I know what you mean though, and the wonderful part about getting off the cushion is to now be able to live every moment with the deep understanding that all of it is precisely our lives with nothing to be discarded. Realizing this, washing dishes is sacred practice, feeding oneself is sacred practice, walking, standing, crying, laughing, engaging with others... all of it is sacred practice and yet mundane activities. Without continuing to sit zazen, we´d not awaken to that life changing realization.
I tihink continuing to sit daily is PRECISELY growth in one´s practice!

Gassho
sat lah

[Houzan]

Hi Jenn,

Have you read/watched this talk by Jundo? He is saying something like: the next step is to let go of the next step. That is truly taking the next step.

https://forum.treeleaf.org/forum/teacher-talks-tips/teacher-talks-tips-aa/talks-tips-and-topics-by-jundo/4564-sit-a-long-with-jundo-what-s-next

Gassho, Hōzan
satlah

[Ester]

Hi!
I've also felt the need to add some extra things to my practice to act as reminders, to help me with my Dharma learning or to deepen my practice. Maybe you are already doing some or all of them, but in case any of them is useful for you:

I set in my phone a bell that sounds every 30 minutes. When it sounds I stop and do an insta-zazen of the duration of 2-3 breaths. The bell is not part of our tradition but it helps me to remember to do insta-zazens, as Jundo calls them, and to be more here and now.
I use the Mindfulness bell in the Plum Village app.

I'm wearing a mala. It's not part of the zen tradition but it serves me as a reminder too.

I have also set an altar. I often change the water and light an incense while I read a dedication to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Gathas are wonderful too. Thich Nhat Hanh has a wonderful book on Gathas and you can find many online too here https://beherenownetwork.com/thich-n...0this,the%20Ea rth%20is%20a%20miracle!.
They are verses that you can repeat on specific moments of your day.
You can memorize them or have them on pieces of papers stuck in the wall.

I also add a Metta practice many days after my meditation. I've found that it is a really powerful practice. As simple as it seems it is a very transformative practice.

I stopped listening to music all the time when I cook or clean and I try to be more here and now when I do it. If not all the time, at least part of it.

I believe you didn't participate in the Ango and the Rohatsu. I really encourage you to do it next time. I cannot express how wonderful it s to participate on them. It's a experience that afterwards echoes in your daily life

It also helps me to participate in the zoom live sittings as many days as possible. The feeling of sharing the meditation with a Sangha , a community of practitioners, has, I believe, the potential to transform and to deepen one's practice.

I also like listening to Dharma talks daily. There is something special about listening to the teachings.
And I also like listening to Jundo's podcast :
https://open.spotify.com/wrapped/sha...QJRBMcmSSUe4WE p_Q6XKsQ&show-id=6SHDZV0bjS22rBWyNoVrYV&pi=ehqT0-ZvQ42_4
It is inspiring and fun.

Gassho,
Ester

[Jundo]

Hi Jenn,

Have you read/watched this talk by Jundo? He is saying something like: the next step is to let go of the next step. That is truly taking the next step.

https://forum.treeleaf.org/forum/teacher-talks-tips/teacher-talks-tips-aa/talks-tips-and-topics-by-jundo/4564-sit-a-long-with-jundo-what-s-next

Gassho, Hōzan
satlah

Thank you. I was just going to go hunting for that (searching for something about not searching for something!)

It is a very important point about the strangeness of this wise/crazy practice that is meant to help us quit the constant human hunger to fix, get, improve, judge, keep achieving ...

We do that, even as we seek to live more gently, freer of excess desires, anger, judging and jealousies and the like.

Gassho, Jundo
stlah

[Jundo]

Hi Ester,

I want to maybe offer a little perspective, just a little bit. All these are wonderful practices that I very much recommend ...

Hi!
I've also felt the need to add some extra things to my practice to act as reminders, to help me with my Dharma learning or to deepen my practice. ...

I set in my phone a bell that sounds every 30 minutes. When it sounds I stop and do an insta-zazen of the duration of 2-3 breaths. The bell is not part of our tradition but it helps me to remember to do insta-zazens, as Jundo calls them, and to be more here and now.
I use the Mindfulness bell in the Plum Village app.

I'm wearing a mala. ...

I have also set an altar. I often change the water and light an incense while I read a dedication to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. ...

Gathas are wonderful too. Thich Nhat Hanh has a wonderful book on Gathas and you can find many online too here ...

I also add a Metta practice many days after my meditation.

I stopped listening to music all the time when I cook or clean and I try to be more here and now

I think that the Mindfulness Bell is a lovely practice, nothing wrong with Mala and an Altar as a reminder, reading books and listening to talks. All valuable and rich practices.

But be sure to keep the non-gaining, non-searching, fully whole and nothing more to do mind of Zazen even as you do such practices. It is what I talk about in the "What's Next!?!" talk above. This practice, centered on Just Sitting, is medicine for the constant need to get, do, change, fix, add more. Somehow we do our practice without that need to "do" ... even as we still do it! (the best example is, for example, when cleaning the house or the temple, we want to get the house clean because dirt is bad. This is the mind of achieving that humans have. However, in Zen, we simultaneously see the dirt a second way ... as sacred, all the dirt shining like a jewel, with nothing to clean, nothing to do ... EVEN AS we keep cleaning.) So, in doing your practices, please keep this same "nothing to fix, nothing to add, nothing to do" attitude even as you do things.

One beautiful aspect of this practice is to liberate us from the attitude that the "next book, next talk, next Zazen sitting, next chant, next Guru, next religion" will be the secret recipe and gold ring to grab!

Gassho, Jundo
stlah

[MalleableGirlParts]

Fair and common question, Jenn.
I was particularly drawn by your phrase there ¨I want to implement more concrete experience in my life.¨ The thing is, zazen, is concrete experience. In zazen we experience this, here, now, as it is, us and the lack of selves, the oneness, the emptiness and separations, we experience thoughts forming, emotions arising, noise transforming into sounds, lights transforming into vision. There is nothing about zazen that is not bursting with concrete experience. I think I know what you mean though, and the wonderful part about getting off the cushion is to now be able to live every moment with the deep understanding that all of it is precisely our lives with nothing to be discarded. Realizing this, washing dishes is sacred practice, feeding oneself is sacred practice, walking, standing, crying, laughing, engaging with others... all of it is sacred practice and yet mundane activities. Without continuing to sit zazen, we´d not awaken to that life changing realization.
I tihink continuing to sit daily is PRECISELY growth in one´s practice!

Gassho
sat lah

Thank you for your response! I think I understand what you mean in a superficial way. I'll need to ponder this a little deeper. I feel I'm missing a connective piece that may give me more insight into this suggestion.

[MalleableGirlParts]

Jenn, I am not a teacher, so consider this just a word of a friend.

To implement a concrete experience in your life, just go and live, laugh when need to laugh, cry when need to cry. The zazen is everything and everything is zazen. There is nowhere to go and nothing to do. Live here and now. This is the way.

Gassho!
SatLah

Thank you! I will ponder this suggestion as I'm missing that connection. At least on a deeper sense.

[MalleableGirlParts]

Hi Jenn,

Have you read/watched this talk by Jundo? He is saying something like: the next step is to let go of the next step. That is truly taking the next step.

https://forum.treeleaf.org/forum/teacher-talks-tips/teacher-talks-tips-aa/talks-tips-and-topics-by-jundo/4564-sit-a-long-with-jundo-what-s-next

Gassho, Hōzan
satlah

Thank you! This is excellent information! Perhaps I was a bit lazy in not looking for this kind of response. But then asking the question is more than looking for answers and help, it's me trying to keep engaged here.

[MalleableGirlParts]

Hi!
I've also felt the need to add some extra things to my practice to act as reminders, to help me with my Dharma learning or to deepen my practice. Maybe you are already doing some or all of them, but in case any of them is useful for you:

I set in my phone a bell that sounds every 30 minutes. When it sounds I stop and do an insta-zazen of the duration of 2-3 breaths. The bell is not part of our tradition but it helps me to remember to do insta-zazens, as Jundo calls them, and to be more here and now.
I use the Mindfulness bell in the Plum Village app.

I'm wearing a mala. It's not part of the zen tradition but it serves me as a reminder too.

I have also set an altar. I often change the water and light an incense while I read a dedication to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Gathas are wonderful too. Thich Nhat Hanh has a wonderful book on Gathas and you can find many online too here https://beherenownetwork.com/thich-n...0this,the%20Ea rth%20is%20a%20miracle!.
They are verses that you can repeat on specific moments of your day.
You can memorize them or have them on pieces of papers stuck in the wall.

I also add a Metta practice many days after my meditation. I've found that it is a really powerful practice. As simple as it seems it is a very transformative practice.

I stopped listening to music all the time when I cook or clean and I try to be more here and now when I do it. If not all the time, at least part of it.

I believe you didn't participate in the Ango and the Rohatsu. I really encourage you to do it next time. I cannot express how wonderful it s to participate on them. It's a experience that afterwards echoes in your daily life

It also helps me to participate in the zoom live sittings as many days as possible. The feeling of sharing the meditation with a Sangha , a community of practitioners, has, I believe, the potential to transform and to deepen one's practice.

I also like listening to Dharma talks daily. There is something special about listening to the teachings.
And I also like listening to Jundo's podcast :
https://open.spotify.com/wrapped/sha...QJRBMcmSSUe4WE p_Q6XKsQ&show-id=6SHDZV0bjS22rBWyNoVrYV&pi=ehqT0-ZvQ42_4
It is inspiring and fun.

Gassho,
Ester

OMG I love the plum village app! I also have the bell of mindfulness go off every hour! Now I do not necessarily do a mini Zazen, but I will implement that. I think I'm taking the bell for granted. I mostly just find it makes me smile, which is great, but I should utilize it more practically.

I am not familiar with Gathas. *pausing to look* This speaks to me! No pun intended. I often use simple phrases to calm myself. I would love to have some tried and true ones to have at all times!

I've been considering Metta practice as well. I think I really need that, psychologically.

Losing music is a tough one, but I am working on it.

Thank you for response! These are wonderful suggestions and reminders.

[MalleableGirlParts]

Thank you. I was just going to go hunting for that (searching for something about not searching for something!)

It is a very important point about the strangeness of this wise/crazy practice that is meant to help us quit the constant human hunger to fix, get, improve, judge, keep achieving ...

We do that, even as we seek to live more gently, freer of excess desires, anger, judging and jealousies and the like.

Gassho, Jundo
stlah

Thank you for your response! I haven't mention before that I greatly appreciate your humor. In the limited talks that I have listened to. It's helpful to relate to you as just another regular person that just so happens to be at a higher level in this journey. For me, anyway.

[Houzan]

Thank you! This is excellent information! Perhaps I was a bit lazy in not looking for this kind of response. But then asking the question is more than looking for answers and help, it's me trying to keep engaged here.

I’m happy you ask and engage us all. It makes this place alive. It’s also an interesting question with a very important answer, worth repeating over and over (at least to me)

Gassho, Hōzan
satlah

[Chikyou]

Hi Jenn,

Most of what I want to say has been said already, but I have definitely been there myself in the early days of my practice. I found that, even when life is just too darned crazy and I don’t have time to sit, or stay engaged with the forums, it’s the little things that keep me feeling grounded in my practice. Reciting the meal gatha and practicing Lend A Hand (LAH) are my two main ones that, by now, have become engrained habits. These are things that happen organically in day-to-day life. I can think-not-think about them, and they’re always just there, tying me back to my practice. Something as simple as holding the door for a stranger is a reminder of the Dharma.

Sorry for running long,
Gassho,
SatLah,
Chikyō