Do you pray?

[Bansho]

Hi Jundo,

It is that "unknowing suspicion" that I 'wink' at sometimes. "Hey, universe," I say, "I do not know what the game is fully (or if there really is a game), but I will give you the benefit of the doubt. I have my suspicions. Do with me as you will."

That made me think of a couple of papers I read a few years ago from Nick Bostrom (Director, Future of Humanity Institute, Faculty of Philosophy, Oxford University) and Jürgen Schmidhuber (Co-Director of the Swiss Institute for Artificial Intelligence). In popular terms, what they're arguing for is a kind of 'Matrix' theory. The difference is, however, they're not science-fiction writers, but rather quite brilliant scientists.

"This paper ('Are you living in a computer simulation' argues that at least one of the following propositions is true: (1) the human species is very likely to go extinct before reaching the posthuman stage; (2) any posthuman civilization is extremely unlikely to run significant number of simulations or (variations) of their evolutionary history; (3) we are almost certainly living in a computer simulation. It follows that the naïve transhumanist dogma that there is a significant chance that we will one day become posthumans who run ancestor-simulations is false, unless we are currently living in a simulation. " -- Nick Bostrom (http://www.nickbostrom.com/)

"As a consequence of Moore's law, each decade computers are getting roughly 1000 times faster by cost. Apply Moore's law to the video game business. As the virtual worlds get more convincing many people will spend more time in them. Soon most universes will be virtual, only one (the original) will be real. Then many will be led to suspect the real one is a simulation as well. Some are already suspecting this today." -- Jürgen Schmidhuber (http://www.idsia.ch/~juergen/computeruniverse.html)

At the time I read those papers a few years ago, I found those theories quite disturbing. Now, I just think, so what? Even if they're true, I'll just continue with my practice as best I can.

Gassho
Kenneth

[Keishin]

do you pray

Hello Paige!
There were so many comments to read through that I missed your remarks (this is exciting--the view of all these views!--I see us all, fingers flying on keyboards--tap, tap tap tap, tap......tap taptappatappa tap...)!
Frequent seisures--that can't be much fun--I imagine it to be like going in and out of a life tunnel...it must be something, those first conscious-again moments.
Watching your sister's 3 kids....well now that's almost enough to go into a seisure just to get a break! (please excuse this humor of mine!!)

Back on topic, do you pray.

Well, as said above, I do chant the Great Heart of Wisdom Sutra, and the Four Great Vows. When I sat with a different group among quite a few other chants they also chanted Hakuin Zenji's Song of Zazen which I very much appreciated, and Dai E Zenji's Vow for Awakening--
which was the only chant which actually declares itself to be a prayer.
Both of these I found to be very encouraging to my zazen practice.
I don't chant them, but occasionally I do re-read them. There are certain phrases in particular I like to contemplate.

The only 'prayer' as such which seems to come up regularly and spontaneously for me is 'may we all realize the Buddha Way together.'
This is the very last line of some chant I've done with a different group.
The rest of that chant escapes memory, but that last line has stayed with me, I really like it a lot.

All of us, all together, right in this very moment, moment by moment nowness: Realization realized! (tap tappa tappa tap tap tap!)

gassho
Keishin

[Justin]

To chime in more relevantly on the thread topic, I repeat gathas to myself before meals that make me mindful of the toil and suffering that brought the food to my plate. I also make an effort to 'look deeply' (as they say) at the food and see the entire universe in what sits on the end of my fork.

I don't exactly practice oryoki or anything, but I try to 'eat mindfully.' Does that count as "Zen grace"?

I enjoy attending the chanting services at my local Center and am making an effort (thanks to Brad Warner's helpful guide) to learn the Heart Sutra so that I can chant it before zazen at some point in the future.

When I'm asked why I chant I bring up the old commercial with the yodeling guy on top of a snow-covered mountain. Someone complains to him that there's too much snow, it's too cold, so he steps outside and sings. The vibrations from his voice bring down the snow and the mountain underneath is uncovered.

I'd like to think that chanting does the same to my mind.

[Don Niederfrank]

Praying

I think the perfect prayer is "Not my will but thine be done." I'm not big on the "Thine" having a will and responding to requests, but I think surrendering one's will/ego is necessary in order to know peace and live compassion.

I do think that prayer has some possibility of changing reality beyond myself (I like the idea of a participatory universe), but I'd still call the doctor fo appendicitis.


I think the purpose of prayer is the same as the purpose of sitting. Less me, more of thee, all of us, on the bus.*

FWIW, in many churches the sermon will be on prayer this weekend because of the assigned scripture for this Sunday.



*I have no idea what 'on the bus' means beyond the Firesign Theater. I just added b/c it ryhmes.



p.s. I know I've been posting a lot. It's newbie ethusiasm. I see it where I moderate a discussion also. I'll slow down after bit.

[Jundo]

Don,

Please keep the wisdom coming. Keep it coming. Gassho, Jundo

[Rev R]

Nope, no prayers here. I let go of thoughts of the supernatural a while back, it's not something I need. Day to day life is all the ritual I require.

But that is just me

R

[Justin]

I think the recitation of a mantra can have a lot of benifits in terms of directing concentration or focusing the mind. But, I don't think its has much to do with hocus-pocus, instead more of a mindfulness or training practice.

The mantra and prostrations used in more esotreric and devotional schools definetly serve a real purpose for the practitioner. I've simply found that such practices are not a good fit for me.

Well put, and I would wholeheartedly agree.