A test

[AlanLa]

1) Where does your mind go during zazen?
a. the past
b. the present
c. the future
d. nowhere

2) Where does your mind go when you're not doing zazen?
a. the past
b. the present
c. the future
d. nowhere

All of the above is not an acceptable answer, not is none of the above, nor is it an essay question; you must choose only one response from above.
Each question is worth a ciliocosm of points over endless kalpas.

[Kaishin]

Re: A test

1) c
2) c

[Hoyu]

Re: A test

1) e. None of the above :twisted:
Actually I had to answer e. because while on the Zafu my mind drifts into thoughts of made up things. Most of which haven't, nor will most likely ever happen. Nothing future, present or past just more like watching the unfolding of a fictitious story. Realizing it I then try to shut off the (mental)TV but it always ends up more like changing the channel because before I know it another show starts playing.

2) c. Forever going through a mental checklist of things I need to do!

[ChrisA]

Re: A test

Sorry, Alan, but I reject your rules. Love the questions, though!

1) Where does your mind go during zazen?
a. the past
b. the present
c. the future
d. nowhere

I have four baskets when I sit zazen: past, present, practice, skandha. When a thought arises, I try to be aware of what it is, welcome it by calling its name, and let it fall. Sometimes that's easy: "There you go, replaying that meeting in your head" or "Of course your foot is falling asleep again; who cares?" That sort of thing. Where it gets tricky is down the skandha range toward mental reactions and concsciousness, where "a thought" strings with other thoughts into an idea, monologue, or more.

At times, I really do imagine baskets, btw! To the left of the altar is past; right, future; behind, practice; in front (nearest to my body), skandhas.

2) Where does your mind go when you're not doing zazen?
a. the past
b. the present
c. the future
d. nowhere

I don't know.

[Nindo]

Re: A test

All over. On both. :shock:

[Echo]

Re: A test

....Wait, if you're here, how can your mind go somewhere else?

[ChrisA]

Re: A test

Beats me.

(Get it?!)

[viktor]

Re: A test

It's c and c for me too

[Shokai]

Re: A test

mu

[Kyonin]

Re: A test

f. Fantasies

When I sit there is a period of time when my mind seems to just drift and create fantasies of alternative pasts or possible futures. Lots of "what if..." thinking for me. Not sure why that is.

After maybe 5 or 10 minutes I start to settle and my mind sits still. And I love it.

When not sitting, my answer is d. Most of the time.

[Nenka]

Re: A test

Go?

The wheel may spin, but . . .

:P

Jen

[Onken]

Re: A test

When I start sitting, my mind wanders in every direction possible. Running thoughts, racing thoughts, Past, present, future, all over. It takes a few minutes for those echos in my mind to settle. But they eventually do

Gassho,

Matt

[Seiryu]

Re: A test

1) D

2) D

Where can the mind go....?

[AlanLa]

Re: A test

I could grade this test, tell people what the right answer is, but the thing about Buddhism is that all the tests are self-graded. To grade your own test, may I suggest you look at others' answers and see if one (or more) of them makes better sense.

[nealc]

Re: A test

Mine is all over..

One question I have is how much time (guessing) would you say you are "present" and how much time are you wandering? I do a 30-min sitting most mornings, and I'd guess on average I'm present for

1. the first 5 min,
2. in and out for the next 20, present about 10 min,
3. present again for the last 5 (I've gotten a sense of how long 30m is, I can tell when my legs are getting sore that it's time to get back on ZZ' as uchiyama says).

So I'd say about 40-60%... but it varies alot