Revisiting "Opening the hand of thought"

[Jishin]

Hi Sam,

In my case I need lots of repetition or I lose focus.

Gassho, Jishin

[Heishu]

Hello Sam,

With due respect to you and your practice, Jundo is our teacher and not just an owner of an internet forum. His teachings are valuable to most all of us. Hopefully, someday his words will mean something to you as they do to me. Wishing you well in your journey.

Gassho,
Heishu

[Joyo]

Hello Sam,

With due respect to you and your practice, Jundo is our teacher and not just an owner of an internet forum. His teachings are valuable to most all of us. Hopefully, someday his words will mean something to you as they do to me. Wishing you well in your journey.

Gassho,
Heishu

Yes, I very much agree.

Gassho,
Joyo

[Joyo]

With my basic understanding of Zen, I would say that re-reading something over and over and still not understanding, is an excellent time to sit and give it some time to sink in. Just let the mind/thoughts/teachings be.

Gassho,
Joyo

[Mp]

Hello Sam,

With due respect to you and your practice, Jundo is our teacher and not just an owner of an internet forum. His teachings are valuable to most all of us. Hopefully, someday his words will mean something to you as they do to me. Wishing you well in your journey.

Gassho,
Heishu

Wonderfully said Heishu! I have a great respect and I am very thankful for the wisdom and guidance Jundo provides us. =)

Gassho
Shingen

[Guest]

Hello Sam,

With due respect to you and your practice, Jundo is our teacher and not just an owner of an internet forum. His teachings are valuable to most all of us. Hopefully, someday his words will mean something to you as they do to me. Wishing you well in your journey.

Gassho,
Heishu

Wonderfully said Heishu! I have a great respect and I am very thankful for the wisdom and guidance Jundo provides us. =)

Gassho
Shingen

My respect and gratitude is deep and endless for the guidance and teachings we receive from our teacher Jundo as we practice on this path of non paths. I also have great respect for everyone who offers their teachings, experiences and opinions (even if those opinions differ or cause emotions to run high) in our beautiful Sangha. I can not even truly express in words how I feel about all of you as we practice together. What I can do is offer my deepest bows and unending respect to all.

Gassho
Bobby

[Jundo]

Hi,

Thank you for the kind words, but teaching Buddhism or Shikantaza is rather like teaching cooking. All I can do is show how to make a good and nutritious pot of soup based on one's experience and recipe, while some other teacher down the street will spice things a bit differently. All good soup.

Of course, if I see a student seemingly focused too much on which kind of pot and spoon to choose as the means, or an idealized image of the final product, and not on the actual ingredients, temperature and broth tasting right here, I say something.

Also, while there are many good teachers offering many good and healthful recipes for soup, there are also recipes that lead to something burned or bitter ... or even poisonous. We should avoid those crooked cooks and their half-crocked cooked-up cooky cook books.

Ultimately, each of us has to make our own soup, according to our own place and local ingredients and our own tongue. All the master chef offers is a few tips and pointers on what to avoid.

What is so special about "Shikantaza Soup"? It cooks with nothing to attain, and is tasty and light right through and beyond all life's sweet and sour, fresh and spoiled greens. We are constantly filled and well fed from the start even before slicing the first carrot, yet must constantly focus on how not to cut our finger chopping. We must practice balance so as not to spill the next spoonful, yet there are no stains possible on the Buddha's pants. The soup is done, though the bowl has no bottom and every drop holds the whole universe. As we stir stir stir, we stir ourselves right into the pot. I could go on ...

Gassho, J

PS - Hey, if somebody wants to complain about something around here, it should be how I tend to run analogies into the ground.

[shikantazen]

PS - Hey, if somebody wants to complain about something around here, it should be how I tend to run analogies into the ground.

ah, I forgot about that one

Gassho

[Rich]

Yes, jundo is a great teacher and a wonderful person.
Sam, I use several techniques to just sit with the blue sky. Paying attention to posture helps sometimes, paying attention to breathing is a big anchor like jundo said, letting go of thinking is a subtle effort. When I'm really lost in a dream asking what is this wakes me up. I think just sitting with joy and ease if just for a moment is just enough. I hope you continue your practice and help all beings.



Kind regards. /\

[Nindo]

But it is not objectless as I thought. There is an object; the object here being "aiming at holding the posture" which is equivalent to just sitting.

Hi Sam,
I know how great it feels when you are stuck, and then you read something again, and suddenly you go: Ooh, oooooh! Now it makes sense! Now I see it!
And that is great! Just allow for this practice to be dynamic, always becoming, never arriving. We get it, yet it is still elusive. It is practice not in the sense of rehearsing, but in the sense of being immersed in.
Of course you are looking for correct understanding, but while sitting, drop all thoughts of understanding, right and wrong.

So, don't make the posture an object. If you think about it as an object, you will create the same separation as before; you will keep constantly checking yourself.
Read the part again about flesh and bones. You need to embody the posture, you need to embody the Buddha. Let the posture own you and hand over control ("entrust everything to the correct zazen posture").

May your practice go well.

Gassho,
Nindo

[Oheso]

Hi Sam,
I know how great it feels when you are stuck, and then you read something again, and suddenly you go: Ooh, oooooh! Now it makes sense! Now I see it!
And that is great! Just allow for this practice to be dynamic, always becoming, never arriving. We get it, yet it is still elusive. It is practice not in the sense of rehearsing, but in the sense of being immersed in.
Of course you are looking for correct understanding, but while sitting, drop all thoughts of understanding, right and wrong.

So, don't make the posture an object. If you think about it as an object, you will create the same separation as before; you will keep constantly checking yourself.
Read the part again about flesh and bones. You need to embody the posture, you need to embody the Buddha. Let the posture own you and hand over control ("entrust everything to the correct zazen posture").

May your practice go well.

Gassho,
Nindo

[shikantazen]

Thank you Nindo. That is beautiful

Gassho,
Sam

[Jundo]

Lovely, N.

Gassho, J

[jeff_u]

Gassho,
Jeff

[Mp]

Hi Sam,
I know how great it feels when you are stuck, and then you read something again, and suddenly you go: Ooh, oooooh! Now it makes sense! Now I see it!
And that is great! Just allow for this practice to be dynamic, always becoming, never arriving. We get it, yet it is still elusive. It is practice not in the sense of rehearsing, but in the sense of being immersed in.
Of course you are looking for correct understanding, but while sitting, drop all thoughts of understanding, right and wrong.

So, don't make the posture an object. If you think about it as an object, you will create the same separation as before; you will keep constantly checking yourself.
Read the part again about flesh and bones. You need to embody the posture, you need to embody the Buddha. Let the posture own you and hand over control ("entrust everything to the correct zazen posture").

May your practice go well.

Gassho,
Nindo

Beautiful Nindo! =)

Gassho
Shingen