Zazen in a global pandemic

[Onka]

Good morning friends

I'm interested to hear how everyone's practice is going within the context of a global pandemic.
Has your practice intensified? Is there a particular area of your practice that has become particularly helpful for you? Finally, have you found that the separation between your daily practice and daily responsibilities/employment shrunk?

For me I have been fortunate to be quite unwell and I naturally turned to my daily practice of Shikantaza many times a day. Aside from sitting with my health I found I connected much more with the Heart Sutra and chapter 8 of Realizing Genjokoan. Finally, having recently read How To Be Sick by Toni Berhardt I've found myself employing many of the practices from the book both as an unwell person and as a caregiver almost to the point of being intrinsic reactions to daily life.

Be kind to yourself and look out for each other.
Gassho
Onka/Anna
Sat today

[Kyoshin]

The first appearance of covid in Vietnam, I totally fell off the wagon. During the time we had to isolate at home I did basically nothing but watch TV. Stopped sitting and everything else. Then we decided a Nintendo switch might be a good quarantine investment, and that, oddly enough, woke me up. Video games engage your mind, and from there I started reading novels like crazy, as life in Vietnam gradually went to almost normal. Now that covid has made it's second appearance, I decided to get serious about sitting and human connections, which brought me back here, and made me wonder how I let myself slip away from Treeleaf.

Gassho
Kyōshin
Satlah

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

[Amelia]

During sitting, the shadow that the pandemic has cast over most of daily life is not really there. I guess before pandemic, chop wood and carry water; during pandemic, chop wood and carry water with a mask on; after pandemic, chop wood and carry water, and maintain gratitude for any well-being amidst the fragility and changing nature of life.

Gassho
Sat today, lah

[Meian]

COVID here in the US made everything stop, and created sudden unexpected crises at the same time. Life can be calm, and we can become suddenly aware of a massive loss or serious problems, and this could happen a few times a week.

Longterm planning drew anxiety, and still does. Things happen in days. A week is a long time. A month is a lifetime -- who knows? Maybe Godzilla or the Cat Avengers will have arrived by then.

I am choosing not to give personal information here, but the repercussions from COVID have directly impacted my family and our near future. For this reason, we cannot plan ahead.

Shikantaza -- i can't get out of crisis mode, but I keep trying. 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes. My ears are always listening for my family needing something, my husband asking for help, or a noise at the door or in the street.

Maybe some day I'll relax, but too much has happened this year, and coming from a survivor mindset, it reignited old habits. We're still in it. So I do short Shikantaza, i work on breathing, and I focus on taking care of my family.

Gassho, meian, st lh

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[Onka]

COVID here in the US made everything stop, and created sudden unexpected crises at the same time. Life can be calm, and we can become suddenly aware of a massive loss or serious problems, and this could happen a few times a week.

Longterm planning drew anxiety, and still does. Things happen in days. A week is a long time. A month is a lifetime -- who knows? Maybe Godzilla or the Cat Avengers will have arrived by then.

Shikantaza -- i can't get out of crisis mode, but I keep trying. 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes. My ears are always listening for my family needing something, my husband asking for help, or a noise at the door or in the street.

Maybe some day I'll relax, but too much has happened this year, and coming from a survivor mindset, it reignited old habits. We're still in it. So I do short Shikantaza, i work on breathing, and I focus on taking care of my family.

Gassho, meian, st lh

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

You're here. REALLY here and doing it sister. Life being lived in every moment. Perfect Zazen.
Gassho
Onka
ST

[Onka]

During sitting, the shadow that the pandemic has cast over most of daily life is not really there. I guess before pandemic, chop wood and carry water; during pandemic, chop wood and carry water with a mask on; after pandemic, chop wood and carry water, and maintain gratitude for any well-being amidst the fragility and changing nature of life.

Gassho
Sat today, lah

Gassho
Onka
ST

[Onka]

The first appearance of covid in Vietnam, I totally fell off the wagon. During the time we had to isolate at home I did basically nothing but watch TV. Stopped sitting and everything else. Then we decided a Nintendo switch might be a good quarantine investment, and that, oddly enough, woke me up. Video games engage your mind, and from there I started reading novels like crazy, as life in Vietnam gradually went to almost normal. Now that covid has made it's second appearance, I decided to get serious about sitting and human connections, which brought me back here, and made me wonder how I let myself slip away from Treeleaf.

Gassho
Kyōshin
Satlah

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

That initial reaction to being enveloped by something out of your control can be pretty full on. Now the second wave is hitting hard it will be interesting to hear whether folk react differently. I'm glad you're back with us Kyoshin.
Gassho
Onka
ST

[Kaisho]

For me, being away from a zazen practice for quite awhile, it made me withdraw quite a bit to where I realized that there was some value to the practice that I was missing. The pandemic has and does make me worry and I find that I am increasingly distracting myself with media. It is much the same still as I work on becoming less worried and getting back to work, but now I added zazen and reading chapters of the dhammapadda for some clarity.

Gassho
Chelsea
Stlah

Sent from my SM-A205U using Tapatalk

[Tairin]

I’ve said on Treeleaf before that COVID19 has proven to be a very powerful teacher. So many things that are taken for granted are suddenly restricted or considerably more complicated now. It has really brought to the forefront what is important and what is not.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Shoki]

This current situation has not really interfered with my regular zazen. Since retiring two years ago, I've been pretty active with things that the pandemic has had no effect on, (reading, bike riding, cooking, eating, zazen, gardening, playing music).

My only issue with being locked in is; I don't feel as many opportunities to make myself a useful member of society by helping out.

Gassho
ST-lah
Shoki

[Doshin]

My daily practice is mostly the same as before. However I have had an opportunity to participate in several online 3 to 5 day Sesshins that happened because of the pandemic (so that means more Zazen )

Like Shoki I have been limited in my opportunity to help others.

Doshin
St

[Risho]

I think this is a great ground for practice; right now there is an elevated level of anxiety from multiple things; we need to be bodhisattvas now more than ever. For example, we have to be extra careful when communicating with others to keep calm amidst the storm, to show kindness and patience, to wear a mask and really show empathy; I think all of that is saving sentient beings and people need some kindness now more than ever.

gassho

risho
-stlah

[A.J.]

Something about crisis in the world creates a drive in me to try and go deeper.
It feels pretty existential.

Gassho

-Andrew-
Sat.