Walking into Treeleaf - A daily practice

[Tomás ESP]

When I come to the forum in the morning to get up to date with what has been going on I am trying to incorporate a "new practice", so to speak. I try to be aware of Treeleaf as a zendo, literally. As if I had gotten out of the house and walked into a temple. I see what conversations are happening and I try to engage only in those in which I feel I can help or where my heart feels like opening up. Most of you probably do this already, but I feel that for myself Treeleaf could easily, if unmindful, just become another platform like Facebook groups or reddit in which I simply dump my opinions and move along with my day.

I feel like Treeleaf's community and guidance is different though, the teachings shared here are precious and do have the power to change one's life if taken seriously. So I felt like sharing my gratitude and short reflection on this topic today

Gassho, Tomás
Sat&LaH
Sorry for running long

[Jundo]

When I come to the forum in the morning to get up to date with what has been going on I am trying to incorporate a "new practice", so to speak. I try to be aware of Treeleaf as a zendo, literally. As if I had gotten out of the house and walked into a temple. I see what conversations are happening and I try to engage only in those in which I feel I can help or where my heart feels like opening up. Most of you probably do this already, but I feel that for myself Treeleaf could easily, if unmindful, just become another platform like Facebook groups or reddit in which I simply dump my opinions and move along with my day.

This is VERY important! If this place where a monastery of wood and tile, with 100 rooms and dozens of monks and practitioners, would you want and need to join in everybody's conversations in every room all through the day? Of course not. You would choose those which are important to you, ignore the rest ... and cultivate inner simplicity and silence throughout.

Also, we keep the talk here simple and focused on Practice, largely leaving the world, politics and opinions at the door. We can pick them up later on the way out. We also ask folks, as a rule of thumb, to keep their words simple, not tangled in long and complex thoughts:

A Request to Sangha Members: "Three Sacred Sentences" Practice (LINK)

And to have sat before chatting away ...

SatToday - Make sure you have sat before joining in forum chat! (LINK)

Sorry to have run long.

Gassho, J

stlah

[Nengei]

A lovely reminder, Tomás. Try to feel the wooden floors beneath your feet, and to hear the quiet, gentle sliding of the shoji doors. Feel the sun broken by age-old wooden frames and smell the breeze.
Gassho,
Nengei
Sat today. LAH.

[Tairin]

Lovely reminder Tomás. Thank you.

I like the idea of walking to Treeleaf. I am going to see how I can incorporate that into my life.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Byokan]

I like that very much, Tomás, thanks for sharing it!

Gassho
Byōkan

[serenewolf]

Very well said. The constant sittings and events also help with this.

Gassho
David
Sat

[Tai Do]

Thanks, Tomás and Jundo, for the reminder.
I also tendo to read the threads on my intervals between study, work etc.
Maybe I should schedule a daily time for visiting the Forum, as if I was going to a wood and tile temple and had to leave behind work, study, family issues...
Gassho,
Mateus
Satlah

[Bokugan]

Thank you for this, Tomàs [emoji1374]

I personally struggle with pressuring myself over needing to "keep up" on the forum more by participating in discussion, yet, even though many of the discussions are very meaningful for me, I often do not feel inspired to do so.

As in a physical zendo, if we just sit and 'listen' sometimes, that is totally okay [emoji2]

Gassho,
Bokugan
SatToday

[Onki]

So grateful to you and everyone in the Sangha. Thanks for the reminder.

Gassho,

Finn

Sat today

[BrianK]

Thank you for this. I get overwhelmed at times when I come here. It's me.

[Zenkon]

Thank you for such a great way to envision a visit to the Treeleaf zendo. Very helpful.

Gassho

Zenkon

Sat/lah