Split Thread: Facing the Computer or Facing the Wall

[Kyousui]

READINGS FOR TODAY'S DHARMA TALK ARE BELOW IN THIS THREAD.


I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU POSITION YOUR ZAFU ON THE FLOOR IN A PLACE WHERE YOU ARE NOT STARING DIRECTLY AT THE COMPUTER SCREEN

Gassho, Jundo

Don't understand why the position is important.

[Jundo]

Don't understand why the position is important.

Ah, very good question. Those are our suggested directions for our weekly and monthly netcast Zazenkai.

The experienced Zazenist should be able to sit in the quiet of quietest rooms, or in the middle of Times Square, all the same in total equanimity ...

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?14875-Sit-a-Long-with-Jundo-Zazen-for-Beginners-%2821%29

One should be able to sit in front of a wall, a child's birth or an ongoing murder all the same (although, they are not the same at all, and hopefully one will rise from the cushion to prevent the violence or assist in the birth as needed. That too is "the wall.")

In Zazen, the heart neither runs toward nor runs away from all that life tosses (in total stillness, whether sitting still or running from a hungry tiger, whether sitting still or getting up to offer aid to those in need).

However, in practical terms, we sit in Zazen facing the wall (or the floor) with eyes about half open. We do not close the eyes to shut out the world, but neither do we have them fully open to run toward the world. Daily sitting is a kind of a reduced sensory experience, not total sensory deprivation but neither the sensory overload that we are exposed to in this neon and internet modern world.

So, one could sit looking at the screen in total equanimity, seeing but not seeing, seeing but not pondering or judging. No problem. However, I recommend taking your eyes away from that, and facing the wall or floor.

Make any sense?

Gassho, J

SatToday

PS - I am going to take the liberty of splitting this into its own thread so people find your question.