I'm not very good at zazen

[Jishin]

Hi Joyo,

I don't have this problem. I am awesome at Zazen. All the time. [emoji3]

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

[Ben]

Lots of wisdom in this thread!

Thanks for all of it.

Gassho,
Ben
SatToday

[lorax]

Hi Joyo, you hit the mark, I think all of us if we are honest have the feeling we are not very good at this Zazen practice Just the other morning had the sudden feeling of falling, and realized that I had fallen asleep! This in the back of my mind I noted a great comment in this quarterly Buddhadharma. in the section "First Thoughts", In several commentaries on zazen there was one titled "The Crash is Part of It" and started with the statement "for Brand Warner zazen is like surfing, every single time you do it you fall" Somehow for me, a Southern California raised kid, it rang a bell. That's it, you ride the wave as long as conditions allow, crash, turn and paddle out to get back on the next wave. Its the same no mater how skilled you are. Not good or bad, just what we do.
Woops! SAT TODAY

[Rich]

My sitting has yet to become daily, my brain will often find a place to run to, and when it doesn't I am confronted with things that require a lot of decompression and processing. All in all I have found it to be terrifically horrible. I figure bodhisattvas are not born they are built... back to the task at hand

sattoday

You are already a bodhisattva with pure being. It's just that we've piled all this junk on top of it. Just sitting with junk and accepting it transforms it into a golden Buddha.

SAT today

[Tairin]

While sitting this morning this thread crept into my mind so I sat part of the time wondering if I was any good at sitting. Whatever that means.....

Gassho
Warren
Sat today

[Toun]

Great thread since I always find myself dealing with these very issues.

I have personally experienced worrying about "zazen" before engaging in "zazen". Will it be great, bad or something in between?

I come to the cushion trying to control my thoughts which in turn produces a constant grasping of my "mind play" that complicates the whole situation. One thing that has helped me is the breath and observing its movement. This helps me let go of any thoughts as I become the observer while not trying to grapple with whats going on in my mind. In a way it anchors my practice even when the monkey mind is really all over the place.

Maybe when I become a "Jedi Zen Master" I will eventually let go of the breath and float in my crystal clear blue sky,
but until that happens I will continue to sit on my zafu observing my very restless mind.

Gassho
Mike

Sat2day

[Rich]

I'm probably not that great at meditation, and so what, what I think about it doesn't matter. The joy of just sitting is in my bones.

Sat today

[martyrob]

You know what Rich? The more I hang around this wonderful place the more I appreciate your simple, honest, heartfelt wisdom.

Thank you.

Martyn
Sat today.

[Rich]

Thanks Marty, just sayin what I feel, and sometimes lose my senses so just warnin ya.

SAT today

[Joyo]

I'm probably not that great at meditation, and so what, what I think about it doesn't matter. The joy of just sitting is in my bones.

Sat today

Thank you for the teaching.

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today

[Tai Shi]

Joyo--thank you

I am detracted and sometimes confused especially with my body--my sensation, and I sit, sometimes for 15 minutes, sometimes not at same time each day, try as I might--and I sit anyway--at first and still sometimes to impress, sometimes just sitting. Joyo, thank you for reminding me.

Tai Shi
sat today
Gassho.

[Ongen]

Hi Joyo,
What if I destroy zen forever?

I would offer you 100 bows, Kyonin! Please be quick with it! No rush though

@Joyo: Yup, been there I think this thing is unavoidable. Which I feel is just as it should be. Sit wrong zazen. If you do it long enough, it's no longer wrong. And no longer zazen.
This morning I sat in my local zendo. I slept through the first sitting. The second sitting was clear and fresh. Both sittings were wrong, and both were perfect. I smiled when I walked to the supermarket for breakfast

Gassho
Ongen

Slept Today

[broahes]

Over the past few months I have only Sat Zazen a handful of times. What I have learned from my experience is that all that doubt that I had in my practice was for nothing. I may wabble when I sit, or scratch my nose from time to time.. cough.. glance.. hum a tune in my mind, all the while feeling like I'm getting nowhere. But! Over the time I have moved away from my practice, the world has crept in, and all those subtle things I took for granted now stare me in the face. I had made progress in my actions toward others, in patience. In tolerance. In loving and selfless giving. It took losing all of that to realize while not all was right, much is missing when I don't sit daily.

Gassho,
Brooks sat today..

Sent from my NS-P16AT08 using Tapatalk

[Entai]

I don't think I'm very good at it either. I do my best and figure the rest will take care of itself. Besides, it's not like they give out awards for best sitter. Or do they? Well I'll settle for the participation trophy.

Gassho, Entai
#SatToday

[Jishin]

IMG_0120.JPG

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_