On losing motivation..

[Guest]

During my meditation this morning, my mind wandered, my breath was unnatural, and all I could/or wanted to think about was weather my 15 month old son would wake up during and what my next move in my hockey pool would be... (sorry, canadian here...)

My motivation for zazen has typically been to reduce my suffering, to help me be more present for my family/friends...and foes...and to truelly wake up and enjoy this life.

I have been here before, I would plateu in my meditation, and steadily fall off the horse, I then would quickly fall back into monkey mind...before realizing I needed meditation and return. This time I am determined to push through it and keep going.

How do you return to this internal motivation/or increase it, when at times, it is just so much easier to give in to the suffering of the mind, particuarily when "everyone is doing it.."

I have really grown to respect you all, many of your posts have really assisted me in my practice. If you have a perspective, please share.

Shawn

[Kaishin]

Re: On losing motivation..

How do you return to this internal motivation/or increase it, when at times, it is just so much easier to give in to the suffering of the mind, particuarily when "everyone is doing it.."

There's really nothing to do except to get your butt on the cushion. In my experience, motivation follows practice as much as practice follows motivation.

I think this is a cycle that repeats endlessly. I'm certainly not one of those (are there any?) whose commitment is unwavering. Spouses, kids, jobs, etc etc, it can all wear on you quickly. Some days, after a tough day at work, then housework, getting the kids to bed and all that, by the time it's all finished the last thing I want to do is sit. I'd rather crash on the couch and vegitate. But don't feel guilty about it. Just veg sometimes. But always return.

That's just me. I don't know.

Thanks for sharing!

[Onken]

Re: On losing motivation..

Shawn,

In my own experience, I have had PLENTY of trouble finding the motivation to sit, my mind wandering, I want to get off my zafu to do something else (I'm sure evryone has this problem from time to time). I think this is natural. We have to remember that this is also a discipline and the most important thing is to just "sit". When I do get into these situations, I start to ground myself with counting my breath. Before you know it I'm back to where I think I should be, here right now doing this.

This is just my humble opinion and I'm sure you will get much more insightful help from others in the sangha.

[Shohei]

Re: On losing motivation..

Hiya from a fellow canuck and probably one of the few that does not follow hockey (sacrilege I know!).
This Happens, over and over, dare I say to almost everyone at sometime.

While i would like to offer some cure for this there is little I can offer you. Perhaps just sit and drop the idea, of plateau or better/worse meditation for the time being.
Do not punish your self or lay on guilt to boot. Just see the error and get on with it again. The more practice the less you fall off, like most thing!

Fifteen minutes is not a lot of time considering, I bet you (just like me and others), can sit still and open to what ever is being spewed from the TV or whatever whim we are chasing on the internet, right?
Just sit there for you (thus all those you mentioned and more) and you will find the more you sit the easier it is to return to do it!

lots more and wiser posts will follow I am sure!

Gassho
Shohei

[Seiryu]

Re: On losing motivation..

Motivation comes and comes. Just like everything in life. Spring leaves us, winters comes...winter leaves us buds begin to come back...such is the nature of our world.

Do not try to manufacture motivation, because then it will be fake and you will be missing a very important lesson. How to just allow yourself to be when you lose all motivation. It is very easy to sit and be excited about practice when we are filled with motivation and vigor, but this is simply another state of mind.

We also have to learn to sit with those states of mind we rather not sit with, and this is where the "difficult" part of practice begins to come in. We are always looking for something else, looking for that state of mind we had last week where our practice went perfect and we were sure that we were one breath away from becoming the next Buddha...but what about right now?

No motivation, not energy, no desire, sit with that. Allow yourself to fully experience that. We always try to run away from such emotions and thoughts without ever really seeing and understanding where they come from? Who is it that has lost motivation? Who is it that wishes it to come back?

It is very difficult to sit during a period of lack of motivation, but it is during that very period that the Dharma is so available if we allow ourselves to watch and stay present to our experience...

A monk once went to see the Abbot of the temple and told him "I am very discouraged. What should I do?" The Abbot replied, "encourage others."

Forgive me if what I said is not of much help

May your practice go well

[Omoi Otoshi]

On losing motivation..

To calm down the wild monkey and make sitting more natural and easy, I've found it useful to calm down life off the Zafu too. If you're stressed out to the extent that you can't even take a dump without picking up a shampoo bottle to read the label on the back, then how can you just sit?

Add small moments of breathing, mindfulness or just plain boredom and things will slow down a little. Then just sitting is no effort.

/Pontus

[Risho]

Re: On losing motivation..

There are a lot of excellent responses, so I don't want to repeat what has been said, but I'm in a period like that now.

When it comes down to it, our willingness to do zazen or not do zazen cannot be based on motivation. That waxes and wanes as everything does in the universe. We have to just do it, just sit. It's easier said than done sometimes, but for me it's the Sangha, the Buddha, the Dharma. Not to sound cliche' but it comes down to that.

Sometimes, I find myself getting really iconoclastic like why should I do any of this? Then life hits me upside the head, the 4 noble truths prove themselves to me again, or I read something on here that helps me.

We are human, we falter, but it's all part of it. I think that's why the precepts are so important and the ritual, e.g. bodhisattva vows, etc. Even if my practice is on the lowdown (i.e. sorry American slang for not being so passionate or strong) at the moment, I'm still here with you all. The precepts and the vows are here to support us.

I do notice when I stop sitting, I forget my mortality. But when I'm presented with it, and face it and face the suffering, I'm open and willing to practice. I think that is another example of our rituals supporting our practice.

Evening Gatha

Let me respectfully remind you,
Life and death are of supreme importance.
Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost.
Each of us should strive to awaken.
Awaken!
Take heed, do not squander your life.

Gassho,

Risho

[Nindo]

Re: On losing motivation..

If you're stressed out to the extent that you can't even take a dump without picking up a shampoo bottle to read the label on the back, then how can you just sit?

OT This just totally cracked me up ... I guess I've been there :shock: :lol:

[Shugen]

Re: On losing motivation..

If you're stressed out to the extent that you can't even take a dump without picking up a shampoo bottle to read the label on the back, then how can you just sit?

OT This just totally cracked me up ... I guess I've been there :shock: :lol:

You beat me to it!

Ron

[RichardH]

Re: On losing motivation..

Practice or go to hell. I'm not kidding. It sounds like something from the middle ages, but... "Me" is fine when things are "going my way", or when there is just an ordinary level of problems and tying loose ends. But everything, absolutely everything I love will perish. Everything I make will dissolve. My world and all its compass points, all its familiar landmarks, will convulse. It is only a matter of time. In and of itself this is all "just so", no problem, just change, but if "I" have built "my house" upon it. "I" will experience hell..... even if it is a nifty little zen lifestyle house. Been there. No thanks, there is a choice.

Omoi Otoshi wrote:
If you're stressed out to the extent that you can't even take a dump without picking up a shampoo bottle to read the label on the back, then how can you just sit?

..

Yup been there :lol: ....its like being a drop of water on a hot griddle... sucks.

[Shohei]

Re: On losing motivation..

If you're stressed out to the extent that you can't even take a dump without picking up a shampoo bottle to read the label on the back, then how can you just sit?

OT This just totally cracked me up ... I guess I've been there :shock: :lol:

Ditto (probably tmi but so well said!)

[Heisoku]

Re: On losing motivation..

Keep sitting Shawn, it's the only answer. Slowly and surely the dynamic silence that is not your mind will prevail. I can't tell how often I thought it wasn't possible but just stick with it and it arrives..can't say when but it does!

Beats reading shampoo labels ..or even foot moisturiser bottles!!!

[michaeljc]

Re: On losing motivation..

My response Shawn is that you are placing value on different occurrences in your sitting and wanting ‘results’ What value are monkey thoughts? Are they not of your very mind and your very life? You might try embracing and welcoming everything as being part of your Zazen.
Just my thoughts
m

[Jundo]

Re: On losing motivation..

Evening Gatha

Let me respectfully remind you,
Life and death are of supreme importance.
Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost.
Each of us should strive to awaken.
Awaken!
Take heed, do not squander your life.

Let me also respectfully remind everyone of the empty mirror reflection of the Gatha (not quite as poetic, but this author is no poet ... ) ...

No "me" no "you", no life or death.
No time to pass, no opportunity lost.
No "us" to strive, no goal or striving.
Thus Awakended! AWAKENED!
How could one squander this life?

I feel that if we ever forget either this Timeless Gatha or the Evening Gatha, then we miss something vital about this Practice, about all life. LIVE BOTH AT ONCE, AS ONE!

Be gentle and good, be diligent and sincere ...

... even though beyond "good or bad" and all to attain!

Great Attainment!

Gassho, J

[ChrisA]

Re: On losing motivation..

I think Kaishin nailed it:

There's really nothing to do except to get your butt on the cushion. In my experience, motivation follows practice as much as practice follows motivation.

Highlight mine.

Don't desire motivation. Just sit. Regularly, if at all possible, and without any sense of attainment.

Sounds crazy, I know. But until you've had one of those sits where you start without motivation and you end annoyed that the timer went off....

Hard to explain. Sorry. Zen is like that sometimes. A lot, actually.