Zafu for Christmas!

[Hoko]

Hey everybody,
I used to have a couple of meditation cushions but when we moved a few years ago they got left in the garage and the cats adopted them. Despite the fact that you can unzip the cover and wash them someone who shall remain nameless decided that they were garbage and disposed of them. This is about $200 worth of cushions by the way! 😨
Anyway, everything is temporary including my lack of a zafu and lo and behold what should my wife presenting me with as an early Christmas gift? That's right. I asked her why she didn't wait until Christmas morning to give it to me and she said she had no idea how to wrap it! 😁
Having spent the last two years wadding up decorative pillows under my rear end I am now in possession of a brand new, kapok stuffed zafu. It's nice. I feel like Harry Potter and this is my Nimbus 2000 (except I already have the Golden Snitch).
Anyway, I got to thinking: are there any traditions or history or even pithy vignettes associated with zafus? For instance I notice Jundo rotates the zafu in the zendo label in/out according to occupancy (can't recall which is which).
Anyone want to chime in and share your knowledge? Just for fun.
BTW, may everyone have a blessed holiday!
Gassho,
K2
#SatToday

[Geika]

Haha, I asked for one for Christmas, too!

Though if I don't get one, it's okay. I like using that blanket roll technique.

Gassho, sat today

[Kyosei]

Hey everybody,
I used to have a couple of meditation cushions but when we moved a few years ago they got left in the garage and the cats adopted them. Despite the fact that you can unzip the cover and wash them someone who shall remain nameless decided that they were garbage and disposed of them. This is about $200 worth of cushions by the way! 😨
Anyway, everything is temporary including my lack of a zafu and lo and behold what should my wife presenting me with as an early Christmas gift? That's right. I asked her why she didn't wait until Christmas morning to give it to me and she said she had no idea how to wrap it! 😁
Having spent the last two years wadding up decorative pillows under my rear end I am now in possession of a brand new, kapok stuffed zafu. It's nice. I feel like Harry Potter and this is my Nimbus 2000 (except I already have the Golden Snitch).
Anyway, I got to thinking: are there any traditions or history or even pithy vignettes associated with zafus? For instance I notice Jundo rotates the zafu in the zendo label in/out according to occupancy (can't recall which is which).
Anyone want to chime in and share your knowledge? Just for fun.
BTW, may everyone have a blessed holiday!
Gassho,
K2
#SatToday

Well, I've heard that the tradition of using a cushion started with the Buddha, when he sat under the Bodhi tree; it is said that he sat on an amount of grass... I guess the yogis sits directly on the ground to meditate, and maybe Siddartha did this as it said that he planned not to move until he reached "illumination"...so, as it could be a looong sit, why not make it a bit more confortable? [emoji12]

Specifically about the "Zendo" Zafu, I once heard that (and most Zendos I visited instructs that) the label should be turned to the Zendo, as the label usually marks a monk's place and so his Dharma name would be inscripted on it... that's all I know... not sure if this is a reality around temples nowadays...

Surely Jundo and the novices will add a lot more interesting things.

Ah! And congratulations on your new Zafu. It may be a gift to have such a supportive wife...

Gassho

Marcos

#SatToday

[Seishin]

Kliff

You'll have to give us a review, after your "test drive" !

[Banto]

Would be interested to know how the kapok goes Kliff. Buckwheat husks get super hard about halfway through a sit and legs go numb from the "edge".
Happy NewZafu!

Rodney s2d

[Hoko]

Would be interested to know how the kapok goes Kliff. Buckwheat husks get super hard about halfway through a sit and legs go numb from the "edge".
Happy NewZafu!

Rodney s2d

It's the same make/model of what I had before and I have to say that the kapok is significantly more comfortable than the buckwheat husks.
I don't have a zabuton (although I suspect Santa may have one on the sleigh...) but right now I sit on the edge of the zafu with a throw pillow on the floor below my knees (I sit full lotus).
So far it's much more comfortable than my jury rig but I still get numb legs after about 20-30 minutes if my calves are not perfect (although "perfect" seems to change from day to day).
The upshot being that since I get numb legs either way I can't promise that a new kapok cushion will solve the issue for you.
If it's being caused by spinal compression then perhaps it will help but for my own situation it's generally because of pressure from my crossed up legs causes a numb left foot.
Anyway, kapok is my weapon of choice but as the last 2 years have taught me you can work with many ways and forms.
Gassho,
-K2
#SatToday

[Banto]

I think I'm ready to try Kapok after a couple years on this buckwheat.
I have this perhaps false impression that people together in a Zendo go the full :30 without switching legs.
Which doesn't matter, I need to drop it haha
Great gift though Kliff, very cool

-r S2D

[Careless Voice]

I do a lot of leg stretches, so even without a zabuton I don't have much of a problem sitting on my somewhat low seated zafu (only 4.5 inches off the ground about). Then again I'm a pretty young guy so things are bound to change in the flexibility department some day.

Which brings me to the question: what's kapok like? I've never sat on one or ever touched one to be honest. My buckwheat zafu shapes and moulds to my butt and thighs decently, but doesn't do too much for back support, so I took up doing back exercises as well. Perhaps I should fill my zafu up with more buckwheat. Hmmm.

Kyle,
S2D

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[Jundo]

It is said that the Buddha sat on a pile of Kusha grass, considered sacred in India (I saw some growing while there).

http://nalanda-onthemove.blogspot.jp/2010/10/kusha-grass-mat.html

My experience is that in Thailand, folks sit either directly on the ground or on very thin, low cushions, unlike the Japanese Soto 'Zafu' which tends to raise us up rather high ...



In my experience, the practice in most Mahayana/Chan/Son/Zen temples I have visited in China, Vietnam and Korea is to sit on one rather thin cushion .... although some folks will pile two cushions on top of each other for more height.



In Japan as well, the Rinzai folks tend to sit on thinner square cushions, although they also may double them up. Here is a photo from the 'official' Japan Rinzai page, although many of the cushions I have seen in China, Vietnam etc. have been even thinner ...



Me? I prefer a little "lift and height". The Zafu provides this in a way that the others do not, and the round design does not press on the legs as much as a rectangle would.

Gassho, J

[Hoko]

Thanks, Jundo!
I was hoping you'd be able to shine some light on the subject; you did not disappoint.
Gassho,
K2
#SatToday

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[Tairin]

It's the same make/model of what I had before and I have to say that the kapok is significantly more comfortable than the buckwheat husks.

Interesting. My experience is exactly the opposite. At the local Zen centre I had the opportunity to try a variety of zafus both size and materials. I found the kapok filled zafus to be unforgiving and uncomfortable. The buckwheat filled zafus gave a bit when I sat on them. Now I have heard that kapok needs to break in and that the buckwheat filled zafus don't. I've no idea how broken in the zafus were at the centre.

For my house I have two buckwheat zafus. I think the key is to not have them over stuffed so the buckwheat has somewhere to "flow" to as you sit. One of my zafus is less stuffed because my wife uses it and found it was better (we experimented ).

Either way get what works.

Enjoy your new zafu Kliff!!

Gassho
Warren
Sat today

[Erik de Heiden]

This is my choice of sitting options. To the left is my oldest and Cabot it cushion. It is a bit lower and filled with sawdust, that is quite though and sturdy but I like the feeling. Getting a bit older myself, I sometimes move to the one on the left. Its filled with buckwheat, softer and higher. On longer sits, like the Rohatsu or private seshins, I sometimes use the little bench in the back with or without a cushion.

The bench can be folded and is also easy to take when traveling.

Gasho all and happy holidays.

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[MyoHo]

Hi guys,

ever consider to make a Zagu yourselves? Seweing your own Zafu is most rewarding and not so hard to do. Much easier then Rakusu or Okesa anyways. You can find several good instructions online and ohboy then you can really get experimenting with filling. Hay, sand, a whole Christmastree or the wrappings of all those presents yall got this year. Have a look, its an interesting project.

Gassho

MyoHo

[Geika]

I did receive a zafu for Christmas! It is cotton inside, but I was surprised at how sturdy it is to sit on, not too soft. It is removable, so if it wears down, I can refill it with something else.



It has a wide heart like shape that is good support for my thighs, about six inches tall.

Gassho, sat today

[Kaisho]

I have a buckwheat zafu and have found after sitting on both types that I prefer the buckwheat as it molds to the behind. It's gone a little pancakey lately and I've put a blanket beneath it as a stop gap measure till I get around to getting more filling. Who'd of thought these things needed maintenance?
Seachel
Sat2day

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