Cultivating Equanimity

[Chikyou]

Guo Gu teaches that, as an EXPEDIENT MEANS, you can start your sitting with fully relaxing your body (through progressive relaxation and body scanning) to become FAMILIAR WITH the feeling of equanimity. This makes sense to me, and has been very useful, as in my experience craving and aversion is often manifesting as muscle tension in the body (four places in my case: eye region/ between the eyes, shoulders, stomach and ties). However, as Jundo helpfully pointed out to me: don’t start to think that you need to be relaxed in order to feel equanimity. You can sit with radical equanimity and at the same time have all the muscle tension in the world. Personally I see that is has become easier and easier to sit in equanimity now, also without relaxing the body first.

Gassho, Michael
Satlah

I have come to doing this on my own for the simple practical purpose of identifying and rectifying tension or discomfort that will become a problem halfway through my sitting. I also mentally check my posture if I catch myself falling asleep to make sure that inadvertent slouching isn't the cause.

Gassho,
SatLah
Kelly

[Houzan]

It’s also probably important to advise that we not chase after equanimity.

This is a useful reminder to me [emoji120]. I used to do this, and maybe sometimes still. Chasing after equanimity. But a very subtle grasping, and as a result of a very subtle and implicit assumption that through sitting I am “training the muscle of equanimity”. As if sitting is like a mental workout. The more I sit the stronger my equanimity becomes. This makes no sense as the teachings are clear: equanimity is present all the time. Its light is always on and shines constantly with the same strength. It is delusion that hides the light. And delusion is grasping. So just let go. This is easy to understand intellectually, but emotionally it takes time it seems. At least in my case.

Gassho, Michael
Satlah

[Jundo]

This is a useful reminder to me [emoji120]. I used to do this, and maybe sometimes still. Chasing after equanimity. But a very subtle grasping, and as a result of a very subtle and implicit assumption that through sitting I am “training the muscle of equanimity”. As if sitting is like a mental workout. The more I sit the stronger my equanimity becomes. This makes no sense as the teachings are clear: equanimity is present all the time. Its light is always on and shines constantly with the same strength. It is delusion that hides the light. And delusion is grasping. So just let go. This is easy to understand intellectually, but emotionally it takes time it seems. At least in my case.

Gassho, Michael
Satlah

Well, I would take the middle way there. Sitting --is-- practice in equanimity, embodying Buddha and being untangled from thought.

But don't push! Be equanimous by not trying, for otherwise it is like "struggling to not struggle," which makes no sense. The way to know equanimity is to release and let be. Sitting is our "flight simulator" in doing so.

Gassho, J

stlah

[Houzan]

Well, I would take the middle way there. Sitting --is-- practice in equanimity, embodying Buddha and being untangled from thought.

But don't push! Be equanimous by not trying, for otherwise it is like "struggling to not struggle," which makes no sense. The way to know equanimity is to release and let be. Sitting is our "flight simulator" in doing so.

Gassho, J

stlah

Thank you, Jundo[emoji120]

Gassho, Michael
Satlah

[ZenKen]

Shikantaza is not a matter of feeling equanimity whereby nothing need bother one again, and all judgements and emotions vanish. Rather, one feels equanimity ABOUT having problems, making judgements, having ordinary human, moderate emotions, even as one ALSO sees through the judgements, emotions, problems etc.

Sorry to run long.

Gassho, Jundo

stlah

Ahh, the pearl in the oyster for me - simple and profound.

Thank you for this teaching, Jundo, and to all who contributed to this discussion.

Gassho

ZenKen sattoday

[paulashby]

Take and try a few pointers and give them a run before zazen. I always try to get ready by relaxing not
only the body but also any emotional distraction or busy brain obsessions. Yes,easier advised than
accomplished. But if I am relaxed it is much easier to enter into an open zazen that welcomes everything.
What puts you into a place of ease and unforced relaxation?
Jundo from the voice of experience notes that problem filled zazen and all to human distraction zazen is
also good zazen. My experience of sesshins has been days of boot camp endurance then grumbling acceptance
then equanimity about day 5.

Gassho, and best wishes Paul sat lah

[Seth]

Update: I've tried many of the suggestions. I definitely noticed that the success of Zazen is directly tied to the mental state that you are in prior to sitting. The method acting approach and the mood that you set in the room that you are in definitely has an effect.

Thanks again!



Seth

Sat/lah

[Bion]

Update: I've tried many of the suggestions. I definitely noticed that the success of Zazen is directly tied to the mental state that you are in prior to sitting. The method acting approach and the mood that you set in the room that you are in definitely has an effect.

Thanks again!



Seth

Sat/lah

The “success” of zazen is ALWAYS guaranteed and already in our possession and is beyond our conceptualization of it. The moment we sit, zazen is successful. Whatever else we expect or demand of it, before or after we sit, is of our own making and has nothing to do with the sit itself. Sitting is always accomplished fully. That’s how I understand it [emoji1]

[emoji1374] Sat Today

[Jundo]

The “success” of zazen is ALWAYS guaranteed and already in our possession and is beyond our conceptualization of it. The moment we sit, zazen is successful. Whatever else we expect or demand of it, before or after we sit, is of our own making and has nothing to do with the sit itself. Sitting is always accomplished fully. That’s how I understand it [emoji1]

[emoji1374] Sat Today

Yes. As counter-intuitive as it may sound, Zazen is always good, complete, whole. There is no "bad" Zazen ever. Period. Zazen is not "good" only when it feels peaceful, pleasant, good. Zazen is always complete and whole without depending on how one feels about it.

That said, when one sits Zazen judging whether it is good or bad, feeling that it lacks something and could be better, that it needs some more perfect setting, that one is dissatisfied with how one's sitting is in this moment, that one wishes to be more peaceful and pleasant, etc. etc. etc. ... then Zazen is bad and incomplete, with something lacking, and that is "bad" Zazen. Very bad in fact.

Zazen is wise-crazy that way.

Gassho, J

stlah

[Chikyou]

Yes. As counter-intuitive as it may sound, Zazen is always good, complete, whole. There is no "bad" Zazen ever. Period. Zazen is not "good" only when it feels peaceful, pleasant, good. Zazen is always complete and whole without depending on how one feels about it.

That said, when one sits Zazen judging whether it is good or bad, feeling that it lacks something and could be better, that it needs some more perfect setting, that one is dissatisfied with how one's sitting is in this moment, that one wishes to be more peaceful and pleasant, etc. etc. etc. ... then Zazen is bad and incomplete, with something lacking, and that is "bad" Zazen. Very bad in fact.

Zazen is wise-crazy that way.

Gassho, J

stlah

Gassho,
SatLah
Kelly

[Seiko]

The strong belief/conviction that zazen is always good, is faith. That's why I tell people my Faith is Sōtō Zen.

Gasshō
Seiko
Stlah

[Jundo]

The strong belief/conviction that zazen is always good, is faith. That's why I tell people my Faith is Sōtō Zen.

Gasshō
Seiko
Stlah

But, here is the kicker ... it is a self-proving (or, better, "non-self proving") faith or trust. How?

There is an aspect to life where life is just life, just what it is ... but if we judge it lacking, it is. If we judge it whole and complete, it is. So, if you have real trust, and really feel, that this world and life are complete, nothing lacking, just flowing as they flow ... ipso facto ... it is so.

Now, of course, a car gas tank can be full, half full or empty. My bank account can be big or not. A marriage or health or many human things can be thought successful or not, up or down, good or bad. The little "self" judges and rates all the "not self" stuff of the world in such ways according to its personal desires and wants.

But, on a basic existential level, life itself is just life, and is lacking or whole based solely on our heart's judgement.

And when we judge this world-life whole and "just complete as it is," then even one's gas tank, bank account, marriage and health may be up or down, good or bad in worldly terms (sorry, Zazen will not put money in your bank, gas in your car, or fix your bad health) ...

... but, yet, fundamentally, each also becomes "whole and complete, just as it is." Your marriage is then just your marriage, your health just your health, your whole life and this sometimes beautiful sometimes ugly world just as it is. Yes, you may still need surgery, a divorce, go through so many other hard experiences, need more gas in the tank ... but, underlying that, it is also somehow just the wholeness flowing of this world.

It is self (or non-self) determining by what we judge in the heart. Shikantaza Zazen is practice in this.

Gassho, J

stlah

Sorry to run long

[Seth]

Jundo,

Are you suggesting that the perception of something as "perfect as it is" stems from a reasoned understanding of the true nature of reality, is it an experience of equanimity that you evoke non-conceptually, or both? In other words, based on what you previously said, and assuming I understood correctly, when you become consciously aware of judgments about a given situation, how should "you" react to the judgment? Should you (1) rationalize the judgment based on an understanding of reality (like the concept of non-self), or (2) should you invoke a non-conceptual response or feeling towards the judgment?

Sorry for running long.



Seth

Sat/lah

[Jundo]

Jundo,

Are you suggesting that the perception of something as "perfect as it is" stems from a reasoned understanding of the true nature of reality, is it an experience of equanimity that you evoke non-conceptually, or both? In other words, based on what you previously said, and assuming I understood correctly, when you become consciously aware of judgments about a given situation, how should "you" react to the judgment? Should you (1) rationalize the judgment based on an understanding of reality (like the concept of non-self), or (2) should you invoke a non-conceptual response or feeling towards the judgment?

Sorry for running long.



Seth

Sat/lah

You over-analyze this.

Just feel contentment and equanimity in one's bones, as if (if you need at first) an actor playing a role of someone, a Buddha perhaps, feeling content and equanimous in their bones ...

... until the contentment and equanimity are truly felt.

I emphasize that this is a foundational equanimity. Life will still be hard sometimes, sad, heart breaking sometimes, scary sometimes because it is life.

Gassho, J

stlah

[Seth]

I tend to over-analyze. Let's just say it's occupational conditioning. I'm working to remove this conditioning slowly, but surely.

Thank you for the clarification.



Seth

Sat/lah