How to deepen our practice?

[Jundo]

I have done or am doing the below recently to "deepen" my practice

- Increased my sit time from 30 to 40 min
- Attending the local zen center sittings every morning at 5:30 am
- Committed to following the precepts; Being honest in every small thing in life
- Realized I have this habit of cutting unkind jokes (although harmless). I also get a lot of unkind prank thoughts to mind (that I never implemented). I learnt about compassion and why it matters (we are all one, there is no division). I'm trying to put this in practice in life by meeting each person with kindness and trying to check none of my jokes or thoughts are unkind
- I used to slack at work (IT, Coding) and realized that is breaking the precept of not stealing in a way (Taking employer's money without giving them what is promised). So trying to put in my hours with as much sincerity as possible
- Trying not to expect anything from the practice: Working on it

Gassho,
Sam
Sat2day

Lovely. Although there is not anything to expect or do ... that does not mean that we should not be diligent in doing it!

Increasing sitting time is often good, sitting every morning is always good (both on the days when it feels good and those days while it does not) ... all while droppiing all thought while sitting of time measures, clocks and calendars, good and bad.

This is our Koan of Shikantaza.

No Precept can ever be broken ... yet the Precepts can be broken, so we try our best not to break the Precepts.

This is our Koan of the Precepts.

Gassho, J

STLah

PS - While I support honesty in every thing, I still tell my wife that I like her new dress even if not so crazy about it. Even the Buddha believed in "expedient means."

[Hoseki]

Hi folks,

I rewatched the video Jundo posted and I've given the topic some time. One of things I deal with is the tendency to want to run away from everything. Some might call this cowardice and they would be right Its like how our usual way of going about the world has us grasp at things that are pleasurable, push away things that are unpleasant and ignore things that are neutral. Of the three I find my behavior dominated by trying to push unpleasant things away. When I reflect on my past I see a series of events I didn't attend or usually joyous events as more like relief.

When I wrote the initial post I was processing some grief and a sense of impending loss. So I think my longing for something else was in a way an attempt to avoid those feelings. I still want to deepen my practice but I think it might be better to phrase it as just learning to be with what is.

Thank you for advice and thoughts.

Gassho
Hoseki
sattoday

[Myoku]

Sounds like you are on he right way, actually I feel you deepen your practice with this thread, by being so open (thats how I perceive it, as I'm rather not writing much about me) and by your awareness of your tendencies (which I'm also bad at ...), just keep going (though ups an downs),
Gassho
Myoku
sat

[Seiryu]

One of things I deal with is the tendency to want to run away from everything.

I understand that because that's how I moved through most of my life.

Recently during my sitting practice, from the moment the bell rang, it was like I entered a hell realm. I wanted to be anywhere but there.

I fought myself a bit to sit with it but it wasn't helping. Then, right before I was to give up, by just leaving the room, a question bubbled out from, seemingly the depths of my core,

"Where will you go?"

For me all that time I thought it was a external situation that was causes me issues, but it was just me not wanting to be with myself during it.
-----------------
When feelings of wanting to run come, maybe considering

Where can you run to where you will not be?

Might help....


Sat

Seiryu


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[Kyonin]

Kyonin's words during the 4 hour opening ango zazenkai still remain at the forefront of my brainz. Essentially he said that during each ango period something new 'sticks' in terms of daily practice.
This really resonated with me.
I'm not deluded to think that every commitment I've tried to adhere to during this period will stick but I know some things will. Kyonin said that each ango period he participated in he added something new to his practice or something new stuck. That's how I see my practice deepening in terms of day to day stuff. In terms of philosophical understanding and historical knowledge, I'm sure they're deepening organically each day I read the forums and interact with the sangha and our readings.
Gassho
Anna
stlah

Did I say that? Don't mind me. I'm innocent!

Gassho,

Kyonin
Sat/LAH

[Kyonin]

Hi Hoseki,

I guess you deepen your practice by dropping the idea of there's something to go deep to. You are already where you need to be. Your practice is already what it needs to be.

Just go about life sitting zazen and living by the Precepts. The rest will come in time.

Gassho,

Kyonin
Sat/LAH

[Rich]

You can meditate anytime. You can just be. You don’t have to do anything. That’s about as deep as it gets

Sat/lah


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[Jundo]

Hi folks,

I rewatched the video Jundo posted and I've given the topic some time. One of things I deal with is the tendency to want to run away from everything. Some might call this cowardice and they would be right Its like how our usual way of going about the world has us grasp at things that are pleasurable, push away things that are unpleasant and ignore things that are neutral. Of the three I find my behavior dominated by trying to push unpleasant things away. When I reflect on my past I see a series of events I didn't attend or usually joyous events as more like relief.

When I wrote the initial post I was processing some grief and a sense of impending loss. So I think my longing for something else was in a way an attempt to avoid those feelings. I still want to deepen my practice but I think it might be better to phrase it as just learning to be with what is.

Thank you for advice and thoughts.

Gassho
Hoseki
sattoday

It is human to run from the unpleasant and toward the pleasant. We are not stones.

However, if we are prisoners of our likes and dislikes, or do so to excess in a way that causes harm ... well, that is a problem.

Our Buddhist way teaches us an abiding equanimity that we can know even as we keep our human likes and dislikes. I compare it to choosing chocolate ice cream because we don't like strawberry (or cancer!), yet also knowing an abiding equanimity if life hands us strawberry (or cancer!). As well, we are mildly attracted to our like so that, even if we work hard for chocolate, we do not feel decimated if we don't get it.

We also learn to manage our likes and dislikes better so that, if faced with a task we do not wish to do, we can overcome the mental resistance better. I still struggle with resistance when life hands me a task I do not want to do in that moment ... from picking weeds on a hot day to medical tests I would rather not face ... but I am better at turning the mind around to acceptance and non-resistance.

Yes, working with all this mental resistance and such is our practice, and we do get better at it.

....

Recently during my sitting practice, from the moment the bell rang, it was like I entered a hell realm. I wanted to be anywhere but there.

I fought myself a bit to sit with it but it wasn't helping. Then, right before I was to give up, by just leaving the room, a question bubbled out from, seemingly the depths of my core,

"Where will you go?" ...

When feelings of wanting to run come, maybe considering

Where can you run to where you will not be?

Nice.

Gassho, J

STLah

PS-Metta for your grief and loss, Hoseki.

[Meian]

Metta for you, Jundo. And I also prefer chocolate ice cream! (But my kids usually eat it first.)

Gassho2
Kim
St / Rt / lh

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[Hoseki]

Thank you everyone. Lots to think about and then let go

Gassho
Hoseki
Sattoday/lah