Anatomy of a Sit

[Toun]

From my own personal experience and perspective, we may approach the zafu with expectations that things will either go wonderfully right or terribly wrong. On a personal note I thought that sitting would solve all of my problems and transport me directly to my own little Shangri-La.

Ouch!


Was I actually taking Zazen much too serious?


Just have fun, accept sitting for what it is even If the same top forty classic is constantly rewinding in your head. Eventually the tune will run its course!


Gassho to all
Mike

Sat today

[Jakuden]

Haha thanks everyone for your comments. There would have been a time when I would have been mortified to disclose my unruly thoughts on a public page... but I have come to accept that it is OK to have sessions like this. At first resistance and "woe is me" discomfort, then trying to grasp and follow thoughts, then eventually coming down into just breathing and noticing surroundings, then Just Sitting. Somehow the absurd scenery of this sit seemed to be a good lesson: my mind apparently gives equal time to my saddest thoughts, deepest worries, and whether or not we have too many chickens!? Silly thing. Best not to take anything it thinks too seriously.

Gassho,
Jakuden
SatToday

[Jundo]

And let me just say ...

... learning that which is beyond all human need to "get get get more more more, get somewhere apart from here, add or take away in order to make right" ...

... learning to find (although already here all along) the Clarity that shines like the moon and sun right through and as all the passing thoughts and emotions which flitter through the head even on the cloudiest day ...

... learning the Silence which is heard in the bones at the heart of both ordinary worldly silence as well as its most disturbing noise, a Peace which holds all life's round and sharp broken pieces ...

... is why radically dropping all 'searching' is truly the doorway to finding, why allowing is the key to transcending, why the thoughts which seem to come and go ultimately never come and go at all.

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Jakuden]

And let me just say ...

... learning that which is beyond all human need to "get get get more more more, get somewhere apart from here, add or take away in order to make right" ...

... learning to find (although already here all along) the Clarity that shines like the moon and sun right through and as all the passing thoughts and emotions which flitter through the head even on the cloudiest day ...

... learning the Silence which is heard in the bones at the heart of both ordinary worldly silence as well as its most disturbing noise, a Peace which holds all life's round and sharp broken pieces ...

... is why radically dropping all 'searching' is truly the doorway to finding, why allowing is the key to transcending, why the thoughts which seem to come and go ultimately never come and go at all.

Gassho, J

SatToday

Ah, thank you Jundo for adding on the important final part that I could not describe! Yes, resistance at the beginning, but at the end a Peace that holds all of life's round and sharp broken pieces.

Gassho,
Jakuden
SatToday

[Kyonin]

Jakuden,

Thank you for this post. That's how the mind works most of the times.

I'd only add that sometimes the head is like a jukebox playing a single song all over again!

Gassho,

Kyonin
#SatToday

[Jishin]

Hi,

I think shikantaza should not discriminate against those that have turbulent minds and have difficulty in dropping body and mind during sitting. Yet it does precisely that. Attaining non attaining with nothing to attain is not a possibility. And even if it were, the inherent wisdom could not be executed because of impulsivity issues.

Jundo has mentioned in the past that shikantaza is not for everyone. I think that shikantaza is a hindrance in such cases and not enough is said about this.

I wish it were.

My one cent.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

[Tairin]

Thank you for this topic. I am a relative beginner having only taken up my practise within the last year. I don't know if I can contribute anything meaningful except to say that I often find I sit with a busy mind. Sometimes I fret about it and think I am doing it all wrong. Other times I remind myself that it is called practise for a reason. It took me 47 years of training to get this busy mind. It seems reasonable that it will take time to untrain it. That's fine. I've got the rest of my life to work on it.

Gassho
Warren
sat today

[Jundo]

The purpose is not to be without all thoughts. The purpose is to see through thoughts to something shining. This usually involves the mind settling a bit, but it is truly a Clarity that shines right through all thoughts and no thought. By such Clarity, the thoughts may come but they are Illuminated and not perceived as they were before.

Tomorrow's Zazenkai on the teachings of the 8th Century Master Moheyan is just on this.

May 6th-7th, 2016 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI!

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?14427-May-6th-7th-2016-OUR-MONTHLY-4-hour-ZAZENKAI%21

I think shikantaza should not discriminate against those that have turbulent minds and have difficulty in dropping body and mind during sitting. Yet it does precisely that. Attaining non attaining with nothing to attain is not a possibility. And even if it were, the inherent wisdom could not be executed because of impulsivity issues.

Jundo has mentioned in the past that shikantaza is not for everyone. I think that shikantaza is a hindrance in such cases and not enough is said about this.

Yes, it is not for everyone, just like baseball or pistachio ice cream is not for everyone. Some folks simple have trouble to understand what it means to stop the chase, to find the Silence that is not a matter of silence or noise.

I wish it were for everyone. Such folks might benefit more from Chanting to Buddha or Praying to Jesus or I don't know what. Maybe just by watching baseball while eating ice cream!

But some folks run away to the next shiny thing too quickly too. This is the disease of chasing.

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Jishin]

Shikantaza requires attachment to Shikantaza. Practice-enlightenment requires attachment to practice-enlightenment. Teaching requires attachment to teaching. That's why Dogen and Buddha were tortured souls (and much more).

Grumpy and Argumentative Jishin will now shut up and attach to sitting.

Gassho, Jishin, ST

[Rich]

With practice a space appears between your thoughts and your true self and then you can forget about all the nonsense. Or drop it on a dime. And fill that space with love ❤ and compassion.

Btw I'm one of those turbulent overactive minds.

SAT today

[Myosha]

Shikantaza requires attachment to Shikantaza. Practice-enlightenment requires attachment to practice-enlightenment. Teaching requires attachment to teaching. That's why Dogen and Buddha were tortured souls (and much more).

Grumpy and Argumentative Jishin will now shut up and attach to sitting.

Gassho, Jishin, ST

Hello,

Throw it away. Sit.^^


Gassho
Myosha sat today

[Jishin]

Throw it away. Sit.^^

Throw it away. Sit.^^

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

[Judith del Carmen]

Thank you Jakuden, big huge . Sat today