Are we doing Zazen all the time?A Sick Buddhist's Conundrum

[karlmalachut]

Hey all,

I had a question sometimes members in the forum discussing that even when we are not doing zazen formally all the time we are doing it. I'm wondering what you mean by this? because I have been sick all day with a sinus infection just doing some intentional laying in quiet at times because it hurts at times to sit up and have had this odd pain in my left foot. Does this count as Zazen it doesn't exactly fall under Dogen's guidelines but it has been all I could do.


Gassho,


Karl,Laid Today

[Jundo]

Hey all,

I had a question sometimes members in the forum discussing that even when we are not doing zazen formally all the time we are doing it. I'm wondering what you mean by this? because I have been sick all day with a sinus infection just doing some intentional laying in quiet at times because it hurts at times to sit up and have had this odd pain in my left foot. Does this count as Zazen it doesn't exactly fall under Dogen's guidelines but it has been all I could do.


Gassho,


Karl,Laid Today

Hi Karl,

I hope you feel better. We recite the Metta Verse: "May you be healthy, and at ease in all your ills."

Being sick, whether with a sinus infection or cancer, is "Shikantaza Zazen" if the mind approaches it so. In a nutshell, if one is "sick" with the same attitude as Zazen, then it is Zazen, namely "when sick just be sick," with deep equanimity (even as one feels yuck and does not want to be sick at all. Believe it or not, we learn that one can not like something and resist it AND ALSO not resist in the least and know deep acceptance and equanimity AT THE SAME TIME).

If one is sick with such attitude, then being sick is Zazen.

I don't think that we are "always doing Zazen." You may be thinking that Mahayana Buddhism teaches that we are "all already Buddha" ... but we usually don't know so. You may also be thinking that all our activities in life ... washing dishes, cooking dinner, taking care of the baby ... can be Zazen/Samu (work practice) if approached with such a heart.

When sitting just sit, when sick on one's back just be sick on one's back.

Even the Buddha had to recline sometimes when sick ...



Gassho, J

STLah

[Horin]

Hi Karl,
imo it means we do not discriminate between Zen and non-Zen in daily life. So we sit formal Zazen some times a day, practice Kinhin/Walking Meditation, but bring the attitude of Zazen into daily life. So its not to be Zen while formal meditation and not Zen the rest of the day. When sitting practice transform our entire life, where can we draw a line? Theres eating, sitting, cooking, working, talking,... even certain circumstances and conditions like sickness, tiredness, also sadness and whatsoever arise. Yet, theres no victim l, no doer (even there may be the perception of a self)... so we do not become entangled into conditions, into deluded thinking, and not being driven by greed and anger... or at least, we may become entangled but "untangle" again while returning to the awareness again and again thats beyond any condition, embraces all conditions..

Gassho,
Ben

Stlah

Gesendet von meinem PLK-L01 mit Tapatalk

[Onka]

Hey Karl
I'm a new member and practitioner with spinal disabilities and a brain that has unique design features. I'm full-time carer for my partner who has MS and a bunch of geriatric critters who often need a lot of attention.
Sitting without the use of various aids and back support leaves me bed bound for days. Laying on my back, reclined and supported in bed or like Buddha in Jundo's reply to you is how I do my formal 'sitting'. I 'sit' deliberately at least once a day but often find the need to do a bit extra at some point on most days. I try to approach my responsibilities with a Zen mind, being completely present in what I'm doing. This by no means negates my rage-o-meter or any of the other less impressive traits I possess but it gives me a baseline that I enjoy being at and tool that I use to return.
Basically, with all BS aside I do what I can do how I can do it.
I hope the infection clears soon. Sinus infections suck!
All the best, Anna.

Also laid today

[Kokuu]

Hi Karl

I have been sick every day for the past twenty-three and a bit years. Some of those days have been better than others but each one has come with pain and a restriction on what I can do.

Each of those days I practice as best as I can and some of that involves lying quietly with 'just this' which is not entirely dissimilar to zazen. It is a quiet acceptance that this is how things are and my entire being is expressing life just as it is There is a slightly different intention to zazen in which I purposefully adopt open awareness and sit or lie in that state. Just being with illness is an expression of the Zen way in everyday life but really it is all part of one skin, moving seamlessly between life and zazen.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday-