Ango Keepers

[Ekai]

Re: Ango Keepers

I still chant the meal chant usually everday, sit for 15-25 minutes daily (depends on how well Hunter goes to sleep :cry: ), metta practice, nurturing seeds practice and dana every month. I want to add some sutra study and more chanting (Bodhisattva Vow, Verse on Atonement, Heart Sutra). But I will take one step at a time.

Gassho,
Jodi/Ekai

[Dokan]

Re: Ango Keepers

Mostly things have become habit.

- Zazen has shortened from 40m 2x/day to about 30 minutes.
- Shakuhachi &/or Sewing practice continues daily (been dabbling with calligraphy as well)
- Daily reading continues, although I've been bouncing off of Shobo to a few other books, I keep coming back to Shobo as my core.
- Vegan has been dropped for Lacto-Veggie diet. My meal chants have been all that more meaningful. Dropping lacto for Ango I found very challenging. Now eating it again, I eat with much deeper gratitude.
- Due to the former point, it has really helped solidify my meal chant.

Gassho,

Dokan

[Risho]

Re: Ango Keepers

I always chant the meal chant; I love it... just love it. It grounds my practice. I also really like the nurturing seeds practice; although I find it difficult to remember to do it. I usually get used by my emotions, so I'm at the phase where I catch it, but I'm still caught at that point

I will be incorporating Metta. I also need to become more consistent with sitting. I've been studying for a professional certification for the past 6 months, so I was swamped. My time is coming back to normal, so I'm trying to sit with more regularity again.

Gassho,

Risho

[Heisoku]

Re: Ango Keepers

It's great that much of the practice has become so embedded. I love the metta chant particularly when I find myself p***** at someone, I usually go and chant for that person. I have also been chanting for all treeleafers and it kinda keeps this place in my daily practice. I do the shortb meal chant at lunch and sit once a day for 30mins and add a 15 min sit in the evenings if I can. The book club focuses my reading but I have been going over Shobogenzo commentaries by Uchiyama as well as some of the Paramita sutra commentaries. Thich Nhat Nahn's commentary on the Diamond Sutra really struch a chord during my reading this time round...particularly in describing the self as a lifespan..dunno why!

My resolution is to attend a live G+ event and to just participate more in Treeleaf. It's good knowing you all.

[Kyonin]

Re: Ango Keepers

Yes, the meal gatha turned into a habit for me, so I do it all the time. It gives you a special connection and understanding of what you're eating.

I also kept the no bread thingy. I stopped eating bread for Ango and now it's out of my system. Sure, I have eaten pizza a couple of times, but here at home we simply don't buy bread anymore.

For Ango I raised my zazen session to 35 minutes and it's stayed that way.

Oh and I will keep the sewing too. I will start my Okesa soon.

Mostly things have become habit.

- Zazen has shortened from 40m 2x/day to about 30 minutes.
- Shakuhachi &/or Sewing practice continues daily (been dabbling with calligraphy as well)
- Daily reading continues, although I've been bouncing off of Shobo to a few other books, I keep coming back to Shobo as my core.
- Vegan has been dropped for Lacto-Veggie diet. My meal chants have been all that more meaningful. Dropping lacto for Ango I found very challenging. Now eating it again, I eat with much deeper gratitude.
- Due to the former point, it has really helped solidify my meal chant.

Gassho,

Dokan

[KellyRok]

Re: Ango Keepers

Hello all,

I've had to go back to one sitting most days, I do try to squeeze in 2 some days when I can. I try to do metta everyday and I find the nurturing seeds practice very helpful too. I try to chant the heart sutra at least once a week and I say the verse of atonement almost daily. I say meal gathas a few times a week and I have a few different versions that we use (my children are learning them too).

Since our crazy basketball season is winding down now, I will be picking up the needle again very soon. I'm almost ready to start sewing my kesa panels together.

Thank you for this thread...I will look at it when I lack motivation .

bows,
Kelly/Jinmei