How long have you been practicing Soto Zen?

[will]

Hi Guys. I thought it might be great to know how long everyone's been sitting (I don't mean on the sofa) or practicing

I know we have the introductions, but I thought maybe a thread would be good. Like who's a beginner and who's old skool.

Hi I'm Will :lol:

I've been doing the Soto Zen thing on and off for about 6 years (on for the last 2 years ).

Gassho

[Charles]

Re: How long have you been practicing Soto Zen?

I'm a beginner. I've been sitting for less than four months.

--Charles

[em]

Re: How long have you been practicing Soto Zen?

I've been sitting regularly since december.

Started listening to dharma talks from IMC and SFZC maybe three years ago which helped me edge closer to a regular practice.

Before that I've had a few years of short periods of sitting very rarely and without instruction. Mostly a few weeks of 5 minute dailies here and there.

[Longdog]

Re: How long have you been practicing Soto Zen?

Been sitting soto zen with my local group and visiting Throssel Hole for about 2 years.

Before that I've practised various types of meditation on and off since I was about 14/15 and been to few FWBO (Friends of the Western Buddhist Order) occassions and a weeks retreat with them.

In gassho, Kev

[Shui_Di]

Re: How long have you been practicing Soto Zen?

Hi... I'm Shui Di...

I've practiced Zazen since 2 years ago. But I stopped to practice for a long time because I was confused, and no one could help me.
And started to practice again last year, but stoped for a while again for the same reason. And then started to practice again after I joined Treeleaf about a month ago.

Gassho, Shui Di

[will]

Re: How long have you been practicing Soto Zen?

And started to practice again last year, but stoped for a while again for the same reason. And then started to practice again after I joined Treeleaf about a month ago.

Keep at it. That sounds familiar.

G,W

[undeceivable]

Re: How long have you been practicing Soto Zen?

Hey,
I've been practicing off and on for 7 years: on for 4, off for 2, back on for 1!
But I still only sit 10 minutes a day. Want to increase my sitting time and sitting online is helping :-)

[TracyF]

Re: How long have you been practicing Soto Zen?

Great thread, Will.

I just realized I've been sitting with Jundo for almost 9 months (I sat long before I joined the board). Thanks to Treeleaf, I finally got the guts to start visiting a local sangha last Feb but its not Soto. We don't have any Soto zendo's in my area.

I used to sit every day religiously (heh) but lately I've been so busy, it's impossible. I still sit a minimum of 3 times a week but average about 5.

[Bansho]

Re: How long have you been practicing Soto Zen?

Hi,

I started sitting regularly 4 years ago, initially early in the morning every day before work for about 40 minutes, but not on the weekends. Since I've joined Treeleaf over a year ago I've been sitting each and every day, the only exception being a one week's vacation last year. Now that I've learned about Jundo's Insta-Zazen (TM), however, I won't be making exceptions for vacations any longer. I plan to continue to sit every day regardless of what happens until I turn to dust.

Gassho
Ken

[Eika]

Re: How long have you been practicing Soto Zen?

Great thread. It's interesting to hear folks' journey to Soto Zen.

I started sitting 14 years ago with a Tibetan group. Even then I was drawn to Zen literature and Zen's emphasis on sitting and simplicity, but there was no Zen group in the area and there was a Vajrayana group so I went there. I didn't care for all of the visualization stuff, so I simply sat with breath counting. I did that fairly seriously until I went away to grad school. I also didn't practice much for a couple of years after the births of my kids. Last summer, for a variety of reasons, I felt I really needed to return to the practice and so I started sitting everyday again last summer (still breath counting at that point). When I joined Treeleaf in the fall of last year I switched to shikantaza. I made an internal vow to sit everyday at that point and have been able to live up to that (with the exception of 2 days where I had the flu). I feel that shikantaza is the most subtly powerful meditation practice I have had experience with . . . it suits me.

Not to be a sycophant, but I am continually impressed with the collective wisdom of the folks in the sangha. You all have helped me in many ways and I appreciate it. I hope to remain here for the entirety of Jundo's presence here.

Gassho,
Bill

[will]

Re: How long have you been practicing Soto Zen?

Hey Guys, Just to keep it short and simple with the topic ops:

How long have you been practicing Soto Zen or Shikantaza?

Gassho

[Tony-KY]

Re: How long have you been practicing Soto Zen?

Since last November.

Gassho,

Tony

[..::walter::..]

Re: How long have you been practicing Soto Zen?

3 years

first year jumping from a tradition/technique to an other, then i definitely switched to zazen.

There are a lot of zazen descriptions over the web or in books, some of these encourage you to focus on the breath counting or simply the breath or on some part of the body or also on the wholesome body position, but i always preferred the Jundo's way even before knowing Jundo's teachings.

The last 2 years i did zazen quite regularly.

[chicanobudista]

Re: How long have you been practicing Soto Zen?

I've been doing the Soto Zen thing on and off for about 6 years (on for the last 2 years ).

I started studying/reading/exploring Soto Zen way back in 1989 or 1990. When I went to a local bookstore, I found two books. One was a comic book version of zen stories. The other one was "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" by Shunryu Suzuki. I found both books interesting which lead me to explore more Soto Zen and Buddhism in general. Of course, in 1990 or so, with very limited materials in this part of the world on Buddhism, my understanding of Zen took a bit longer. Now, with internet and more Buddhist materials available via this medium, has really helped me a lot.

As far as practice, I have been practicing Sloppy Zen :mrgreen: since the mid-90's. With a local meditation group starting to get its act together, I have working on meditation practice.

To recap... :wink:

1. Reading/Studying.....17 years.
2. Sloppy Zen....about the same amount.
3. Local meditation group.....three/four moths.

[Stephanie]

Re: How long have you been practicing Soto Zen?

I have no idea.