When I say, Zen,...

[Jinyo]

Re: When I say, Zen,...

Sometimes a circle of white light - nothingness - or gardens with water, or a figure sitting in the lotus position in a tranqil space (that one's
wishful thinking !

Gassho

Willow

[pinoybuddhist]

Re: When I say, Zen,...

:lol: I can see the sign now: ZEN HIBACHI GRILL! When hungry, just eat!

I just asked my wife and she said the first thing she thinks of is the new Chinese Buffet that just opened up down the street. It's called, if you can believe it, ZEN HIBACHI GRILL. Seriously. I have no idea what Zen has to do with buffet, but hey, if it brings in the $$$ :mrgreen:

[Rev R]

Re: When I say, Zen,...

a "hmmmmm" sound

[Seimyo]

When I say, "Zen,"...

An empty white room.


---
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[Nenka]

Re: When I say, Zen,...

Seriously. I have no idea what Zen has to do with buffet

No taste! :lol:

When I think of the word Zen--I can't help it, but I always think of some pretty person sitting cross-legged on a mountain in an advertisement for something, anything.

Gassho

Jen

[Shonin]

Re: When I say, Zen,...

I usually bounce between " YAAAYYY" , " Who am I ?" and " Here, let me help you with that.". Kind of depends on what is going on around me when the word comes up or pops into my brain. And of course some days it's samurai defending helpless villagers.

[KellyRok]

Re: When I say, Zen,...

Hello all,

I think of a beach (with no people). Sometimes I think of this waterfall park we went to in WV - beautiful.

Sometimes I think of a meditating turtle (must be Oogweh from Kung Fu Panda) .

Today, my Zen will look like my boys and me, huddled under blankets with hot chocolate and enjoying a snow day!

_/_

Kelly/Jinmei

[tedmac]

Re: When I say, Zen,...

You mean now?

[Amelia]

Re: When I say, Zen,...

It is so interesting to see what you guys see! Now I have this interesting mash of images in my mind that together make up our sangha of images.

You say,"How High?"

_/_

[AlanLa]

Re: When I say, Zen,...

sitting

OK, I feel a need to explain this a little more.
When I say "sitting," I am referring to all of my existence, which includes zazen but goes way beyond such sitting form.
When I sat "sitting," I am referring to my perspective on the world, which is from a wheelchair that places me waist high in the world, which gives me a unique (zen) perspective, I believe.
When I say "sitting," I am referring to a position from which I do all my activities of daily living as well as zazen. Thus, for me, there is no "off the cushion" except when I am quite literally off my wheelchair cushion. This does happen from time to time, both literally and figuratively, but I always end up back on both types of cushion, sitting.

[Nindo]

Re: When I say, Zen,...

Some scene from the NZ sangha; i.e their zendo or sesshin or the monk bowing during service.

[Kyonin]

Re: When I say, Zen,...

When I think of zen I think about river rocks for some reason. I guess it must be that I associate them with tranquility.

Sometimes a monk in zazen.

[Jundo]

Re: When I say, Zen,...

Had to drop in here once to remind everyone to drop all thoughts of "Zen" ... Zen tires, Zen cosmetics, Zen monks and Zen Temples ... and Just Sit.

... But ya'all know that already! 8)

Gassho, J

[Omoi Otoshi]

Re: When I say, Zen,...

Had to drop in here once to remind everyone to drop all thoughts of "Zen" ... Zen tires, Zen cosmetics, Zen monks and Zen Temples ... and Just Sit.

... But ya'all know that already! 8)

Gassho, J

Yes!
I found Amelia's little exercise interesting though. I have to admit I almost felt embarrassed to admit the first image that popped into my head was someone sitting Zazen dressed in a Kesa. It somehow felt better when I thought of my kid playing happily in the living room. More like Zen should be. Was the first image unconsciously shushed away, as judged too boring and uninventive..? :shock: Was it perceived by my ego as something too mundane, as something my wife who knows next to nothing about Buddhism could have said? :shock: Did I think it was too superficial, too fixed at the external? :shock: I'm not sure, but this whole little thought process helped reveal something about the nature of my mind and my thoughts, lead to a little "aha!"-moment. Now I think both of these images are Zen, yet neither are Zen. Both are very real, yet both are just empty clouds passing over a boundless clear blue sky. Both dropped, passed away, without clinging. Other images continuously take their place as I continue to experience the motion picture that is my life. Funny thing, the mind.

Gassho,
Pontus

[Shokai]

Re: When I say, Zen,...