Hi,
Since I have been experimenting with the scheduled sits and found them helpful (even with fidgeting and all my issues), I've noticed something. During brief periods where I am able to quiet my body enough to "just sit" -- thoughts pop up, sort of, but they are more like insights. Not intrusive, like they don't run down the rabbit hole, but it's like the creative process that I am used to. Usually it is so noisy in my mind and life that these insights pop up but get drowned out in the commotion of daily life.
But during these sessions I've been doing, even chaotic, it's easier for me to notice them and have a chance of registering them -- like, yes, that makes sense, and let it go. But since it fits and it's quiet, I'm less likely to lose it, so I don't have to "think" on it, it just becomes part of the scenery of my mind. Then later on, when I go to work on that project, the insight is already there. I hope that makes sense.
I've seen this happen already. For instance, I just started a remote job (online) as an ESL tutor. This sort of came out of nowhere, but little by little the pieces fell into place, and in my meditation sessions I started seeing what was needed, and what should be improved. I didn't grasp on it, it just became part of my mental landscape. So I started making those changes. Yesterday, I had my first student. By last night, I created my first lesson. This morning, insights on what changes were needed, and other lessons to create, with the needs of students in mind. Again, I didn't grasp -- the insights appeared, then left, but became part of the landscape.
My question -- is this normal for zazen? Or is this not zazen, but just a creative meditation or vipassana I stumbled into without realizing it. Since I practice both Zen and various forms of Tibetan, I am not trying to cross forms here, but I want to determine what I am working with. I'm not sure at this time if this is a normal occurence when someone "just sits" for insights to come up in this way.
But it is very helpful, regardless
Gassho
kim
st lh
Since I have been experimenting with the scheduled sits and found them helpful (even with fidgeting and all my issues), I've noticed something. During brief periods where I am able to quiet my body enough to "just sit" -- thoughts pop up, sort of, but they are more like insights. Not intrusive, like they don't run down the rabbit hole, but it's like the creative process that I am used to. Usually it is so noisy in my mind and life that these insights pop up but get drowned out in the commotion of daily life.
But during these sessions I've been doing, even chaotic, it's easier for me to notice them and have a chance of registering them -- like, yes, that makes sense, and let it go. But since it fits and it's quiet, I'm less likely to lose it, so I don't have to "think" on it, it just becomes part of the scenery of my mind. Then later on, when I go to work on that project, the insight is already there. I hope that makes sense.
I've seen this happen already. For instance, I just started a remote job (online) as an ESL tutor. This sort of came out of nowhere, but little by little the pieces fell into place, and in my meditation sessions I started seeing what was needed, and what should be improved. I didn't grasp on it, it just became part of my mental landscape. So I started making those changes. Yesterday, I had my first student. By last night, I created my first lesson. This morning, insights on what changes were needed, and other lessons to create, with the needs of students in mind. Again, I didn't grasp -- the insights appeared, then left, but became part of the landscape.
My question -- is this normal for zazen? Or is this not zazen, but just a creative meditation or vipassana I stumbled into without realizing it. Since I practice both Zen and various forms of Tibetan, I am not trying to cross forms here, but I want to determine what I am working with. I'm not sure at this time if this is a normal occurence when someone "just sits" for insights to come up in this way.
But it is very helpful, regardless
Gassho
kim
st lh
), TV. The brain is easily bored when that is pulled away.
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