What is your moment-to-moment Zen practice?

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Dan74
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What is your moment-to-moment Zen practice?

Post by Dan74 »

Hi Folks! :hi:

I'm wondering if you'd like to share what practice you do between the sits?

Some people might be working on a koan and bringing it up as often as they can or keeping a constant doubt in some manner or another.

Some people might be easing into silent illumination/shikantaza kind of practice, an open inclusive equanimous awareness.

Some people might be focusing on the breath to stay centred and mindful.

Some work on the Paramita, like giving yourself 100% to what you do, practicing kindness and patience..

Some might turn back from objects to the inner radiance of the mind.

Some might be recalling the teachings.

Some might prefer not to have preferences and not do any special practice, just dropping the mind as much as possible.

And so on.

I think it would be interesting to hear what Zen (Chan/Seon) practitioners do, from beginner to master. I've probably done all of the above at various times but mostly perfected the practice of getting swept up by the comings and goings, losing sight of host and just going on autopilot. :emb:

That said continuous practice have been extremely useful! I started from breath awareness, returning the mind to the breath as often as I can about 11 years ago and it is still a damn good practice, the breath is just always a bit there. The most natural practice for me is silent illumination, but I know that it doesn't quite cut through in my case. I've done some work with koans and it's been most effective, and the last teaching I got was to observe the unreality/emptiness of everything (dissolving it into mental processes) and develop great doubt. I recall having a great deal of existential doubt as a little kid ("why am I me?" type of thing) and it is all feeding into it.

Very happy to hear other stories and from teachers to set me straight.

_/|\_
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Astus
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Re: What is your moment-to-moment Zen practice?

Post by Astus »

My not so moment-to-moment Zen:

When there is greed, see it as greed. When there is anger, see it as anger. When there is jealousy, see it as jealousy. When there is pride, see it as pride. When there is doubt, see it as doubt. When there is anxiety and agitation, see it as anxiety and agitation. When there is laziness and lethargy, see it as laziness and lethargy. Whatever affliction occurs, once recognised as such, see what is the allure, what is the danger and what is the escape.

When there is something to do, try not to think about something else to do. When there is nothing to do, try not to think about something else to do.

Remember that as long as there is food to eat, clothes to wear and a bed to sleep in, I am already rich. Remember that the time of death is uncertain. Remember that whatever I have I can also lose. Remember that wisdom without compassion is not wisdom.

As all experiences are ungraspable and unstoppable, there is nothing to be afraid of and nothing to hope for.
1 Myriad dharmas are only mind.
Mind is unobtainable.
What is there to seek?

2 If the Buddha-Nature is seen,
there will be no seeing of a nature in any thing.

3 Neither cultivation nor seated meditation —
this is the pure Chan of Tathagata.

4 With sudden enlightenment to Tathagata Chan,
the six paramitas and myriad means
are complete within that essence.


1 Huangbo, T2012Ap381c1 2 Nirvana Sutra, T374p521b3; tr. Yamamoto 3 Mazu, X1321p3b23; tr. J. Jia 4 Yongjia, T2014p395c14; tr. from "The Sword of Wisdom"
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Dan74
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Re: What is your moment-to-moment Zen practice?

Post by Dan74 »

Astus wrote:My not so moment-to-moment Zen:

When there is greed, see it as greed. When there is anger, see it as anger. When there is jealousy, see it as jealousy. When there is pride, see it as pride. When there is doubt, see it as doubt. When there is anxiety and agitation, see it as anxiety and agitation. When there is laziness and lethargy, see it as laziness and lethargy. Whatever affliction occurs, once recognised as such, see what is the allure, what is the danger and what is the escape.

When there is something to do, try not to think about something else to do. When there is nothing to do, try not to think about something else to do.

Remember that as long as there is food to eat, clothes to wear and a bed to sleep in, I am already rich. Remember that the time of death is uncertain. Remember that whatever I have I can also lose. Remember that wisdom without compassion is not wisdom.

As all experiences are ungraspable and unstoppable, there is nothing to be afraid of and nothing to hope for.
Thank you, Astus. :bow: :bow: :bow:
Saijun
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Re: What is your moment-to-moment Zen practice?

Post by Saijun »

Hello,

I work on not making any one thing, letting go when something comes up.

Beyond that, I practice the Great Buddhist Alchemy of turning a coffee bean into the golden body of the Buddha.

Hands palm-to-palm,

Saijun
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LastLegend
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Re: What is your moment-to-moment Zen practice?

Post by LastLegend »

I find dropping worries about what might or might not happen helps. There is no particular or rigorous practice that I follow in term of Zen. I do follow one practice which might not be considered Zen, and that is feeling a Bodhisattva in mind. It's not visualization, just feeling and remembering the Bodhisattva. It's a very subtle practice. My thought is quite aggressive when I try to recite or chant. So the subtle approach kind works for me. It's like that which feels, sees, hears, moves, walks, blinks is our nature and not thought.So the subtle approach I am using falls under feeling. So is that a combo of Zen and perhaps Pure Land (I.e., recitation or recalling Buddha, my case A Boddhisatva)?
It’s eye blinking.
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seeker242
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Re: What is your moment-to-moment Zen practice?

Post by seeker242 »

Do laundry, wash dishes, feed the cat, mop the floor, eat bananas, etc, etc. etc.

Just normal everyday stuff. Nothing special. :smile:
One should not kill any living being, nor cause it to be killed, nor should one incite any other to kill. Do never injure any being, whether strong or weak, in this entire universe!
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Dan74
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Re: What is your moment-to-moment Zen practice?

Post by Dan74 »

Saijun wrote:Hello,

I work on not making any one thing, letting go when something comes up.

Beyond that, I practice the Great Buddhist Alchemy of turning a coffee bean into the golden body of the Buddha.

Hands palm-to-palm,

Saijun
Thank you, Saijun. :bow: :bow: :bow:
LastLegend wrote:I find dropping worries about what might or might not happen helps. There is no particular or rigorous practice that I follow in term of Zen. I do follow one practice which might not be considered Zen, and that is feeling a Bodhisattva in mind. It's not visualization, just feeling and remembering the Bodhisattva. It's a very subtle practice. My thought is quite aggressive when I try to recite or chant. So the subtle approach kind works for me. It's like that which feels, sees, hears, moves, walks, blinks is our nature and not thought.So the subtle approach I am using falls under feeling. So is that a combo of Zen and perhaps Pure Land (I.e., recitation or recalling Buddha, my case A Boddhisatva)?
Thank you, LastLegend. :bow: :bow: :bow:
seeker242 wrote:Do laundry, wash dishes, feed the cat, mop the floor, eat bananas, etc, etc. etc.

Just normal everyday stuff. Nothing special. :smile:
Thank you, seeker242. :bow: :bow: :bow:
Jesse
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Re: What is your moment-to-moment Zen practice?

Post by Jesse »

edit
Last edited by Jesse on Sat Jul 19, 2014 1:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Image
Thus shall ye think of all this fleeting world:
A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream;
A flash of lightning in a summer cloud,
A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream.
Jesse
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Re: What is your moment-to-moment Zen practice?

Post by Jesse »

open minded awareness. let any thought, feeling, sensation arise and vanish like the tides on the sea. once the tides of the sea become flat and calm I just drift in the ethereal peace that arises, fully relaxed, tranquil and at total peace.

afterwards I like to play video games. :rolling:
Image
Thus shall ye think of all this fleeting world:
A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream;
A flash of lightning in a summer cloud,
A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream.
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avisitor
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Re: What is your moment-to-moment Zen practice?

Post by avisitor »

I don't know if this is a moment to moment Zen practice.
Be friendly and helpful.
Watch the thoughts come and go.
Do what I believe is right.
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Dan74
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Re: What is your moment-to-moment Zen practice?

Post by Dan74 »

Jesse wrote:open minded awareness. let any thought, feeling, sensation arise and vanish like the tides on the sea. once the tides of the sea become flat and calm I just drift in the ethereal peace that arises, fully relaxed, tranquil and at total peace.

afterwards I like to play video games. :rolling:
:bow: :bow: :bow:
avisitor wrote:I don't know if this is a moment to moment Zen practice.
Be friendly and helpful.
Watch the thoughts come and go.
Do what I believe is right.
:bow: :bow: :bow:

I've found it really worthwhile to take the practice seriously, to develop a deep respect and gratitude for it, hence the three bows.

Whether it is Zen or not Zen, what is and is not Zen, and where practice can go wrong can be discussed in other threads. Here lets give thanks that we have a practice, that it is not a sham, or pretense, but something deep from the heart and lets nourish it.
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