what Enkyo said!
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and neither are they otherwise.
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William, that's just brillant!
How come I've never read something by Rilke (although I've heard about him, of course)?
Thanks!
Gassho,
Timono thing needs to be addedComment
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I usually take that to mean, "Now that we've thought about this, let's sit," or, "after that, let's sit," or, "let's sit now." It seems more like a catch-phrase than a literal recommendation to meditate one-pointedly on the lecture. I'm sure Jundo will clarify.Originally posted by Jenell求道芸化 Kyūdō Geika
I am just a priest-in-training, please do not take anything I say as a teaching.Comment
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When sitting, there is no need to categorize the thoughts according to importance or whether they are "Buddhist" or not. Off the cushion, feel free to think about whatever you want! Though, if you are following the Eightfold Path you might want to consider right thinking.
求道芸化 Kyūdō Geika
I am just a priest-in-training, please do not take anything I say as a teaching.Comment
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Oh my. It certainly does --not-- mean to sit there and contemplate! Perhaps it means something like "now let it go, leave it there, see what happens".Originally posted by Jenell
It is very much like I also sit with whatever else happens to be in the room with me ... a chair, a table, a Buddha Statue, dust balls in the corner. While sitting, I don't think about them, or grab on ... I just let them rest without giving them thought, without judging them (no "Oh, look at those dust ball, they could use a sweep, where did I put the broom?") and simply sit.
What is more, Dosho once suggested that I should change the words to "Shall we sit --AS-- that", because all may come to dance together and through-and-through as wholeness, oneness ... the Shining Great ChairJundoTableBuddhaYouDustBall.
Gassho, Jundo
PS - Once the sitting is over, then is the time to start thinking "clean vs. dirty" again. I do not philosophize about that either ... I do not worry too much about "at what exact point does clean turn into dirty?" or "how dirty is dirty?" or "why do we humans judge something dirty?" ... but simply grab a broom, sweep away the dust balls, wipe the table, straighten the chairs. I know clean and straight when I see it, filth and mess when I see it (just as I know anger or peace, greed or generosity, etc., when I encounter them. Try to sweep those away from my life too ... even as they have a tendency to try to come back the next day. A housekeeper's work is never done!).
Yes, rising from the cushion, I get to work in a world of "clean vs. dirty" ... although, now, perhaps I also still see, shining beyond and through the world's dirty and polish, that same Shining-Great ChairJundoTableBuddhaYouDustBall found on the cushion, beyond and sparkling through-and-through small human judgements of "clean vs. dirty".
So I clean each day as best I can, clean though there is nothing truly in need of cleaning.
PPS - Sometimes, when we just let some of these questions go and "just sit", when we rise from the cushion we may actually find that some resolution has come, or that the question itself has vanished. Sometimes it remains as big as before, no solution. It is much like that quote from Rilke above.Last edited by Jundo; 04-19-2013, 03:23 AM.ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLEComment
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andrea, ive been here big time too lately. out in public, waiting in lines, in traffic, feeling anxious, etc. and was wondering this myself. thanks for asking this. gassho, Justin,Comment
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Truly beautiful William. Thanks!"have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer."
Part of the problem is that it is impossible for the mind to investigate itself. It can analyze everything else but not itself. It is just like trying to cure your illness using the poison that coused it. I do not mean to sound philosophical, but I am sure that many of us are stuggling with this very problem...that is hard to avoid. I have a scientific background and tend to over-analyze things. It works great for my job, but when applying the same analytical method to my life I constantly hit a wall. All I can come up with is a model of reality that is just that...a model and nothing more. The reason why I am so attracted to Zazen is that sitting is helping me to SEE that there is no point to this neverending thinking. One bit a the time I am giving up my need to KNOW who I am for simply BEING who I am. The road ahead is still veeeeeeery long, but I do SEE more clearly than I have ever had.
YES! Sometimes I think I should leave a notepad right next to my cushion : )PPS - Sometimes, when we just let some of these questions go and "just sit", when we rise from the cushion we may actually find that some resolution has come, or that the question itself has vanished. Sometimes it remains as big as before, no solution. It is much like that quote from Rilke above.
Thank you all for your comments and for sharing your experiences. This is awesome!
Gassho,Comment
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