Why do you (as in you personally) do zazen

[undeceivable]

Re: Why do you (as in you personally) do zazen

Nice question and nice answers too.

I started doing Zazen about 7 years ago because I guess I admired people who were calm, relaxed, friendly, kind and open. More than admired, I thought they were cool. Like super-heroes, to me. And I did yoga at uni and the teacher was nice. When I met Zen priests or saw them in the street in Tokyo, I wanted to be like them. I stayed a day at Eiheiji and met a really nice monk who just seemed to me to be everything that was good in this world and even though he wasn't remarkable in any way apart from being nice and easy-going, this seemed enough...I visited lots of temples and sat with lots of groups and it just suited me. The smell, the free green tea, the Japanese sweets
Now I guess I do it pretty much for the same reasons: To keep calm, be happy and be nice to people. Probably not the right reasons, but if I'm honest that's why I do it.

Hmm.
:P

[Keishin]

Re: Why do you (as in you personally) do zazen

Because a day without zazen is a day without zazen

[will]

Re: Why do you (as in you personally) do zazen

Well, I used to have all kinds of reasons.

This guy says to me "I should go sit." You know this guy tells me a lot of things, gives me lots of reasons. I don't listen to him as much anymore.

Sit to sit.

You just know. You know that you can't chase after it, but you should be doing it, as Dogen might say "Often".

Probably during a sesshin (I've never done one) you might ask yourself just that question. "Why in the H*** am I doing this?"

But we keep sitting.

I get up, take a shower, then sit (usually in that order). As time goes on, I find I'm sitting more often. But I don't contemplate why I brush my teeth.

Actualizing the depth of wordless words spoken by countless Zen teachers could be a reason. Actualizing the Shobogenzo could be a reason. However, I read them very little now. I think Dogen would have preferred it if we didn't have to read the Shobogenzo.

G,W

[will]

Re: Why do you (as in you personally) do zazen

I'm also learning little by little, there's much I don't know or understand. Which is preferable.

W

[Bansho]

Re: Why do you (as in you personally) do zazen

The Buddha-Dharma can only be brought into existence through realization. Apart from sincere practice, there is no Buddha-Dharma. That is why I practice Zazen.

Gassho
Ken