Why a Wall?

[Jun]

That's cool Gregor, no need to explain it - I'm not all that interested in depriving myself of reality.

[Gregor]

I don't think that reality and sensory perceptions are exactly the same thing.


But that's neither here nor there . . . there is plenty of room for you to see things as you do. Just another perception after all.

[Ankai]

That's cool Gregor, no need to explain it - I'm not all that interested in depriving myself of reality.

That's an interesting conversational turn. Do you think sensory experience is reality?

[Jun]

I don't think that reality and sensory perceptions are exactly the same thing.

Agreed.

sensory reality - for without our senses we would have no perception. How do you perceive if not through your senses? Take away your senses and your brain would have no input.

[Skye]

What's not real about a wall?

[Charles]

Jun,

After considering this for a while, I think that without some level of sensory deprivation (a relatively quiet place, a fairly non-active visual field) I, as a beginner, would have a hard time avoiding constant distraction. I think that's what I meant when I said that I can see a logic to the 'sensory deprivation' explanation that people were giving.

--Charles

[Rev R]

Or is it in limiting the input from our eyes (which constitutes a great majority of our sensory input on a given day...provided we aren't blind), we allow the rest of our senses to catch up?

[Jundo]

Hi,

Here's my take on this ...

We push nothing away, and we sit with everything. There is no "bad" Zazen, quiet or noisy, peaceful or rocky. We reject none of it ... in our Zazen, or in all of life. Both the clouds of thought and distractions, and the clear and empty blue, are the sky ... we reject none of the sky.

That being said, we are so used to being bombarded by sights, sounds and thoughts during our busy day (surrounded in clouds of thought) that we sit Zazen with a bit of sensory deprivation to recover our ability to see the blue spaces of empty sky between ... the quiet between the clouds of thought. So, we turn off the TV, turn down the lights a bit, face a wall or (if unavailable) look at the floor. It is best if the room not be overly cluttered and distracting too.

However ... we reject none of the sky! So, besides Zazen in a crowded room once or twice a day, I recommend folks to do "mini-Zazen" several times during their busy day .... standing in a slow postal line, stuck in traffic or on a crowded bus, in the dentist's chair. A "mini-Zazen" need only last 5 minutes, 1 minute or a few seconds. But try to "mini-Zazen" a few times daily (standing, walking ... no need to be sitting).

I also recommend folks to do a sitting once every couple of weeks in an intentionally disturbing place, such as a shopping mall, rock concert, in front of a blaring TV, a bowling alley, smelly garbage dump or, like here, by the side of a busy highway.

http://treeleafzen.blogspot.com/2007/06 ... xxvii.html

Gassho, Jundo

[Longdog]

I can't remember the exact details (one of our resident brain doctors could probably say) but the amount of informational input from the eyes and processing by the brain is a gazillion bytes (ok an awful lot :lol: ) more than from any of our other senses even when looking at a still picture, colour, movement, words etc put that input and procesing needs up even more.

So as Jundo said looking at a blank wall/floor cuts that brain whirring down considerably so that we can see the gaps in the clouds and even see the clouds clear.

Also keeping the eyes open helps to keep us grounded in this reality not drifting off to some dream/trance state which is why you don't jump out of your skin when the bell rings.

In gassho, Kev

[Jun]

When we wish to teach and enlighten all things by ourselves,
we are deluded; when all things teach and enlighten us,
we are enlightened.… Dõgen Zenji

[Jun]

Hey, Jun.

Why do you wear a black dress?

Of all the lovely colours in the world... black. How about some nice, sensory inducing floral patterns... or a nice paisley?

Regards,

H.

I could have a tartan one made Harry! That would be nice!

[Shohei]

I ve alway sat facing a wall - for no other reason than thats what i thought i was supposed to be doing :B, any who- i used to sit in a corner of our bedroom where my wife kept her artwork and although wonderful too look at i found it a bit distracting (eyes darted all over the place) so in the end i moved to a new spot in the room with plenty of blank wall. Now it doesnt bother me much (depending on my state of mind of course).

The wall is a mirror (for me). Some days its excruciating to face, others its a welcome site. some moments its every flaw is shown and sometimes no flaws are there at all. What i see seems to be a reflection of my state of mind when i first sit down. a reflection of my self with out looking my image.

Gassho
Dirk

[will]

Good post Kev.

Gassho

[Longdog]

Will

Off on a weekend retreat tomorrow here http://www.throssel.org.uk/

Seems funny to tell friends that I'm looking forward to a weekend of looking at the wall and getting up early to do it too :lol:

It' not far from the Scotltish Borders, Harry, but they d'nee wear the kilts ya ken, except on a braw bricht nicht :lol:

In gassho, Kev

[Skye]

The wall is a mirror (for me). Some days its excruciating to face, others its a welcome site. some moments its every flaw is shown and sometimes no flaws are there at all. What i see seems to be a reflection of my state of mind when i first sit down. a reflection of my self with out looking my image.

Gassho
Dirk

Good point, Dirk.....