inside/outside

[Shugen]

I've noticed a tendency I have when it comes to sitting - I want silence. Tonight I decided to play with that. Instead of sitting downstairs, cooped up in the basement, I chose to sit on my back porch. I live in suburban USA. What that means is lots of neighbors yelling, kids laughing and dogs barking. It was awesome! I was concerned that I would spend the whole 1/2 hour resisting all the noise. It didn't happen like that at all. The sounds I heard were just that, sounds; not noise or a distraction put a part of my life.

Thanks for letting my babble.

Ron

[Jundo]

Re: inside/outside

Hi,

I strongly suggest that everyone try sittings in places like the following at least every couple of weeks or every few days ...

http://blog.beliefnet.com/treeleafzen/2 ... -view.html

No need to assume the full Lotus Position in the middle of Piccadilly Circus or Times Square. Just find a bus stop bench, building stairs or the like and have a sit ... keeping the back straight, hands in your lap, eyes half open. Noisy, smelly, distasteful places (the city garbage dump? a hospital emergency ward? a professional wrestling tournamet?) are encouraged ...

For example, I present Highway Zen from time to time too ... just pull safely off the side of the road!

http://blog.beliefnet.com/treeleafzen/2 ... sic-1.html

or McDonalds ...

http://blog.beliefnet.com/treeleafzen/2 ... assic.html

The above are for full Zazen periods ... and are not to be confused with sitting/standing/walking/running Jundo's Patented "Insta-Zazens©" a few times each day.

For new folks who don't know about Jundo's PATENTED 'INSTA-ZAZEN©' please look here ...

viewtopic.php?p=4029#p4029

and here

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=705&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hil it=insta+zazen

Gassho, Jundo