Splitting monthly zazenkai session ?

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  • Heikyo
    Member
    • Dec 2014
    • 106

    Splitting monthly zazenkai session ?

    Just a quick question. If I do not have time to sit the monthly zazenkai in one block, is it OK to split it over two 2 hour sessions 'off-line", or is this not recommended? I am struggling to find the full 4 hours to do the monthly zazenkai session at the moment, and it's a requirement of Ango...
    Gassho
    Paul
    Sat today
  • Jundo
    Treeleaf Founder and Priest
    • Apr 2006
    • 40987

    #2
    Originally posted by PaulinLondon
    Just a quick question. If I do not have time to sit the monthly zazenkai in one block, is it OK to split it over two 2 hour sessions 'off-line", or is this not recommended? I am struggling to find the full 4 hours to do the monthly zazenkai session at the moment, and it's a requirement of Ango...
    Gassho
    Paul
    Sat today
    It is fine to split it into smaller bits if needed because of life obligations, personal health and stamina or the like. No problem.

    Of course, Zazen is beyond measures of long or short, but there is something wonderful about sometimes sitting long. However, if you cannot, no problem: Whether sitting long or short, always drop all mental measures of time and "long vs. short" when sitting.

    One of the wonderful aspects of our Zazenkai by the way is, because they are recorded in "real time," it is also possible to sit them double or triple times too!

    However, no problem at all to sit shorter blocks if you need. See you there.

    Gassho, Jundo

    STLah
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

    Comment

    • Washin
      Senior Priest-in-Training
      • Dec 2014
      • 3828

      #3
      Usually, when sitting it recorded I split it into 4 pieces 1 hour each which I manage to cover during the week.

      Gassho,
      Washin
      sat today
      Kaidō (皆道) Every Way
      Washin (和信) Harmony Trust
      ----
      I am a novice priest-in-training. Anything that I say must not be considered as teaching
      and should be taken with a 'grain of salt'.

      Comment

      • Onka
        Member
        • May 2019
        • 1576

        #4
        Hi Paul
        Because of beautiful ugliness that this weird experience we call life I regularly have to "sit" even our weekly Zazenkai in bits, bits being a genuine chronological measurement but I "sit" at least a bit, again a genuine chronological measurement every morning.
        Life eh... Just a bunch of bits really innit.
        Gassho
        Onka
        Sitted at bit then a bit more.
        穏 On (Calm)
        火 Ka (Fires)
        They/She.

        Comment

        • Shinshi
          Senior Priest-in-Training
          • Jul 2010
          • 3779

          #5
          I just think of it as time shifting. You are there in the moment, for each moment, but not all the moments are contiguous.

          Gassho, Shinshi

          SaT-LaH
          空道 心志 Kudo Shinshi

          For Zen students a weed is a treasure. With this attitude, whatever you do, life becomes an art.
          ​— Shunryu Suzuki

          E84I - JAJ

          Comment

          • Heikyo
            Member
            • Dec 2014
            • 106

            #6
            Thank you!

            Thank you Jundo and everyone else for the advice. I think this has been a stumbling block for me - thinking that I have to do the full 4 hours in one sitting has meant I have not engaged with the monthly sittings as much as I would have liked.
            Gassho
            Paul
            Sat today

            Comment

            • sreed
              Member
              • Dec 2018
              • 101

              #7
              I have a small child and sitting uninterupted for 4 hours just doesn't always happen. 2 hour nuggests or even 1 hour nuggests works for me. It's a goal for Jukai to sit for the 4 hours as often as possible.
              Sara
              ST

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