Practice and Student Life

[Tiwala]

Hi all, just wondering if there are any students here, in undergrad or postgrad studies. Just wanted to know how you integrate practice with this aspect of daily life.

I'm a science/engineering major, and most of what I study can be very very boring, but sometimes very very interesting and rewarding, just like life. Studying something like nature, which is neither good nor bad and just is, can be a great teacher of zen. Doing problem sets can be very meditative for me... although sometimes I feel lazy and make excuses for myself. I try to see this as part of practice as well. As Jundo says, all life is practice.

Anyway, how about you other students there?

Gassho, Ben

[MyoHo]

"Count the stars" Ben!

Gassho

Enkyo

[Myoshin]

Mm well, When I was a student (I studied as Taigu french litterature), in the middle of cursus I discovered buddhism. The wrong I did is only be concerned by buddhism anymore, a lost of desire to learn what I studied.
The worst was the final work that concludes the university learning at the last year. I loved the libertinage of the 18th century ( like "dangerous liaisons":strategy without sex), but felt disgusted while reading my two "pornographics" books chosen by my teachers (at the begining it was planned to be an erotic, no more) because I felt a friction between what I was working on for university and buddhism.
I decided to print something Sawaki said in forewords, writing below that buddhism has more to teach that the work I was going to present.

I don't know if it's helpfull.

Gassho

Myoshin

[Mp]

Hello Ben,

Thank you for your post ... for me being a mature student and having 90% of my class mates being half my age, this has allowed my practice to grow. Going back to school for me has been a scary and humbling experience; one moment I am excited at the new experience and at other times totally intimidated! My practice has allowed me to just be ... just be with what ever that experience is, whether scary or exciting I try my very best to live that moment fully.

I remember in Fall semester in Sociology I had two challenges comes at one time. First, I was grouped with some young smart folks which had me feeling pretty intimidated and second, we talked about a topic that was very delicate. Well, you can image I was feeling pretty uncomfortable, but my practice has helped me to be "ok" with that feeling; to not run away from it, or get stuck in it; to not push it away and wish for something better, or get drunk (as Taigu would say) with it. so, I am thankful for student life as it has provided a rich and wonderful arena to which I may practice this beautiful practice. =)

Gassho
Shingen

[Llew]

Interestig.

I am also a student, I major in Philosophy and German languages. But for my, being a student is no different than just a thing I do - like cooking, pooing, cleaning and so on. As with everything: Sometimes it appears very meditative to me, sometimes not. Sometimes I can handle it as samu, and sometimes I forget that it could be practise. But I try to make it my samu as often as I can remember
But oftentimes I find that I am procrastinating. And that has nothing to do with practise, I can't imagine to be practising and at the same time procrastinating. And when I recognise that I am procrastinating, I try to see the study as samu again, and go on with it.

Gassho,
Llew