Hitting the Wall

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  • Myoshin

    Hitting the Wall

    I guess like any runner, I have hit that mythical wall. I have had a bit of a hiccup in practice.
    This past week has been crazy. I have been busy with work, school and college plans. I remember how it started. I broke a rule and skipped sitting one night. I said that I would make it up the next night, but that never happened. Besides I did not think one day would matter. Well one day turned into two, three, four, and then a week and a half flew by. I felt as if something was missing. I would try to fit in an insta-zazen here and there but I did not think that was a proper substitute. I thought it was my imagination and it very well may be, but I think it is from not sitting.

    I just was wondering if anyone else has ever had a hiccup in practice. If anyone else ‘pushed off’ sitting and if anyone else felt odd when they did.

    In any case I am sitting again starting today, and I hope to continue daily.

    Gassho,

    Kyle
  • Tb
    Member
    • Jan 2008
    • 3186

    #2
    Re: Hitting the Wall

    Hi.

    Sure.
    lot of "hiccups" and "bumps in the road".
    But they're all part of the practice.

    Mtfbwy
    Tb
    Life is our temple and its all good practice
    Blog: http://fugenblog.blogspot.com/

    Comment

    • Jundo
      Treeleaf Founder and Priest
      • Apr 2006
      • 40587

      #3
      Re: Hitting the Wall

      Originally posted by Fugen
      Hi.

      Sure.
      lot of "hiccups" and "bumps in the road".
      But they're all part of the practice.

      Mtfbwy
      Tb
      ditto. it's all part of the game
      ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

      Comment

      • humblepie
        Member
        • Jan 2009
        • 205

        #4
        Re: Hitting the Wall

        Double ditto. There are days when I don't sit, but rather than fret about it, I practice having meditative, Zen mind in all other tasks or activities. As Fugen said, it's all practice.

        Gassho,
        Dave
        1 in 4 girls will be sexually abused before the age of 18, and 1 in 6 boys.
        These figures only represent reported cases.

        Comment

        • KellyRok
          Member
          • Jul 2008
          • 1374

          #5
          Re: Hitting the Wall

          Hi Kyle and all,

          Yes! Absolutely, I have pushed off sitting...usually in order to do something else. But I've realized that there are always ten thousand things I could be doing at any given moment. So when I just stop thinking about doing things, and just get down to doing them one at a time I find it easiest to sit first and then everything else falls into place. I think I just talked myself in a circle...I hope that made some kind of sense.

          Just sit...as Nike and Jundo says, "Just Do It" :lol: . Very powerful marketing for Buddhism, as well as, shoes and sports. Now I'm rambling...

          Gassho,
          Kelly (Jinmei)

          Comment

          • Dosho
            Member
            • Jun 2008
            • 5784

            #6
            Re: Hitting the Wall

            Hi Kyle,

            This has happened to me just the last couple days and I was beginning to fret about it, but you reminded me of what I should do: just sit. Worrying about what didn't happen just leads to more worry and not what is.

            Thank you for the refresher.

            Gassho,
            Scott

            Comment

            • Shindo
              Member
              • Mar 2008
              • 278

              #7
              Re: Hitting the Wall

              Hi Scott

              just a thought (and something that I have learnt here) is that all activities are zazen - if you can approach it with the right mind set. And, of course, don't forget Jundo's Insta- zazen.

              Best wishes

              Jools
              [color=#404040:301177ix]"[i:301177ix]I come to realize that mind is no other than mountains and rivers and the great wide earth, the sun and the moon and star[/i:301177ix]s". - [b:301177ix]Dogen[/b:301177ix][/color:301177ix]

              Comment

              • Myoshin

                #8
                Re: Hitting the Wall

                Thanks all!

                Gassho,

                Kyle

                Comment

                • will
                  Member
                  • Jun 2007
                  • 2331

                  #9
                  Re: Hitting the Wall

                  Hi Scott,

                  It's all about learning isn't it? Finding out. So, that's the way it goes.

                  Gassho

                  Will
                  [size=85:z6oilzbt]
                  To save all sentient beings, though beings are numberless.
                  To penetrate reality, though reality is boundless.
                  To transform all delusion, though delusions are immeasurable.
                  To attain the enlightened way, a way non-attainable.
                  [/size:z6oilzbt]

                  Comment

                  • will
                    Member
                    • Jun 2007
                    • 2331

                    #10
                    Re: Hitting the Wall

                    I'd like to look at it like this:

                    There is a wall. However, with practice it doesn't exist. Or, it crumbles.

                    Take all the learning, and drop it because that really doesn't exist either.

                    Gassho
                    (still practicing)

                    Will
                    [size=85:z6oilzbt]
                    To save all sentient beings, though beings are numberless.
                    To penetrate reality, though reality is boundless.
                    To transform all delusion, though delusions are immeasurable.
                    To attain the enlightened way, a way non-attainable.
                    [/size:z6oilzbt]

                    Comment

                    • Dosho
                      Member
                      • Jun 2008
                      • 5784

                      #11
                      Re: Hitting the Wall

                      Jools - Very sage advice that I shall endeavor to follow.

                      Will - Ditto

                      Comment

                      • Jundo
                        Treeleaf Founder and Priest
                        • Apr 2006
                        • 40587

                        #12
                        Re: Hitting the Wall

                        Look, I try to be realistic about this. Our practice is sometimes like a diet or exercise routine. We fall off, hopefully will get back on (this week, my wife brought me a bag of Fig Newtons as a present from her visit to America ... well, those things will kill a diet real fast. I am trying to get back on today).

                        So, falling off the wagon a bit is no excuse to stay off the wagon forever, nor to pig out on Fig Newtons for weeks! Get back on that wagon.

                        However, the one thing about falling "off the wagon" in our Zazen is that there is no "on" or "off", no place to fall, and "falling off the wagon" truly is an important part of the process. It is a little like saying that one first realizes the real beauty and value of breathing ... when one tries to stop breathing for awhile.

                        I have always found in the past that periods of dropping away from Zazen practice, even for weeks, have been helpful in the long run ... to lend perspective and such. However, I always came back.

                        Gassho, Jundo
                        ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

                        Comment

                        • disastermouse

                          #13
                          Re: Hitting the Wall

                          Originally posted by Myoshin
                          I guess like any runner, I have hit that mythical wall. I have had a bit of a hiccup in practice.
                          This past week has been crazy. I have been busy with work, school and college plans. I remember how it started. I broke a rule and skipped sitting one night. I said that I would make it up the next night, but that never happened. Besides I did not think one day would matter. Well one day turned into two, three, four, and then a week and a half flew by. I felt as if something was missing. I would try to fit in an insta-zazen here and there but I did not think that was a proper substitute. I thought it was my imagination and it very well may be, but I think it is from not sitting.

                          I just was wondering if anyone else has ever had a hiccup in practice. If anyone else ‘pushed off’ sitting and if anyone else felt odd when they did.

                          In any case I am sitting again starting today, and I hope to continue daily.

                          Gassho,

                          Kyle
                          Only for about ten years, with very few zazen sessions.

                          Chet

                          Comment

                          • Shohei
                            Member
                            • Oct 2007
                            • 2854

                            #14
                            Re: Hitting the Wall

                            Hiyas already been said but what the hay!

                            Ive gone weeks with out sitting at times and each time i left my practice like that i noticed(and others around me) the affects. now it still happens time to time but each time its been less and less... for awhile i made a point to sit only 6 days. 1 day to be a lazy bum. Ive since passed that too and am sitting daily again im sure ill hiccup again ( T-minus 3 weeks and counting until new baby-dom).

                            It does give perspective. and squelches any doubts that sometimes creep up. I don't beat myself up over it yet i do not take a "MEH" approach at it either. If i miss a few sittings i look at what reasons im putting up. (tired, too hungry, fav tv show what ever...) and then work around it. I don't HAVE to sit @ 11pm (or for others 5AM sharp) whats wrong with 9? Now i sit earlier in the evening and it prevents sleepy zen plus my little one helps ring the bell too. And she sings (not quite as helpful but good practice too :P**)

                            Gassho and happy practice, ITS ALL practice.
                            Shohei

                            **gotta bell for my b-day from my lovely wife and daughter and since getting it I had to laugh and admit that ive had a that song stuck in my head - "You Can Ring my Beeeee eeeee eeellll," - by Anita Ward :| :roll:

                            Comment

                            • Tb
                              Member
                              • Jan 2008
                              • 3186

                              #15
                              Re: Hitting the Wall

                              Originally posted by Dirk
                              Hiyas already been said but what the hay!

                              Ive gone weeks with out sitting at times and each time i left my practice like that i noticed(and others around me) the affects.
                              Hi.

                              When i don't "sit" everyday, i notice (and those around me too) it.
                              One response i once got was from my wife screaming att the top of her lungs GO SIT IN THE CORNER!







                              Mtfbwy
                              Tb
                              Life is our temple and its all good practice
                              Blog: http://fugenblog.blogspot.com/

                              Comment

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