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2022-06-09T09:07:16.110Z
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The Japanese Skill Copied by the World
tag:templeilluminatus.ning.com,2020-05-02:6363372:Topic:3517938
2020-05-02T00:03:24.064Z
Carmen Elsa Irarragorri Wyland
https://templeilluminatus.ning.com/profile/CarmenElsaIrarragorriWyland
<h1 class="huwp7ir" style="text-align: center;">The Japanese Skill Copied by the World</h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span>Steve John Powell</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<h2 class="dbjv4gk" style="text-align: center;">Mindfulness has become trendy around the world in recent years – but in Japan, it’s been ingrained into the culture for centuries.…</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="p051ycvp.jpg" src="https://pocket-syndicated-images.s3.amazonaws.com/5e8fa90bc4829.jpg"></img></p>
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<h1 class="huwp7ir" style="text-align: center;">The Japanese Skill Copied by the World</h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span>Steve John Powell</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<h2 class="dbjv4gk" style="text-align: center;">Mindfulness has become trendy around the world in recent years – but in Japan, it’s been ingrained into the culture for centuries.</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://pocket-syndicated-images.s3.amazonaws.com/5e8fa90bc4829.jpg" alt="p051ycvp.jpg"/></p>
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<div><div class="rph6o54"><div class="body story-image"><p class="description" style="text-align: center;"><span class="caption"><span class="caption-content"><i>Even moss is appreciated by the mindful Japanese. Credit: Andrew Whitehead/Alamy</i>.</span></span></p>
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<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">As the sleek shinkansen bullet train glided noiselessly into the station, I watched a strange ritual begin. During the brief stop, the conductor in the last carriage began talking to himself. He proceeded to perform a series of tasks, commenting aloud on each one and vigorously gesticulating at various bits of the train all the while.</p>
<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">So what was he up to? You could say he’s practicing mindfulness. The Japanese call it<span> </span><em>shisa kanko</em><span> </span>(literally ‘checking and calling’), an error-prevention drill that railway employees here have been using for more than 100 years. Conductors point at the things they need to check and then name them out loud as they do them, a dialogue with themselves to ensure nothing gets overlooked.</p>
<div class="body story-image"><img alt="p051ycx5.jpg" src="https://pocket-syndicated-images.s3.amazonaws.com/5e8fa98726ce3.jpg"/><p class="description" style="text-align: center;"><span class="caption"><span class="caption-content"><i>Japanese train conductors practice shisa kanko, pointing at what they need to check and then naming it out loud. Credit: Trevor Mogg/Alamy</i>.</span></span></p>
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<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">And it seems to work. A 1994 study by Japan’s Railway Technical Research Institute, cited in The Japan Times, showed that when asked to perform a simple task workers typically make 2.38 mistakes per 100 actions. When using shisa kanko<em>,</em><span> </span>this number reduced to just 0.38 – a massive 85 percent drop.</p>
<blockquote class="both-indent1 blockquote"><p style="text-align: center;">Mindfulness is moment-to-moment awareness.</p>
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<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">This may seem a long way from mindfulness, which in recent years has become synonymous with what the Japanese call zazen – meditating cross-legged on a cushion. But according to Jon Kabat-Zinn, Professor of Medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he founded its renowned<span> </span><a href="http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/about-us/people/2-meet-our-faculty/kabat-zinn-profile/">Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic</a><span> </span>in 1979, mindfulness is “not really about sitting in the full lotus… pretending you’re a statue in the British Museum. Simply put, mindfulness is moment-to-moment awareness.”</p>
<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">And this present-moment awareness has been deeply ingrained into the Japanese psyche for centuries. You don’t hear people talk about it, but it manifests itself in myriad ways.</p>
<div class="body story-image"><img alt="p051ydl7.jpg" src="https://pocket-syndicated-images.s3.amazonaws.com/5e8fa97c79830.jpg"/><p class="description" style="text-align: center;"><span class="caption"><span class="caption-content"><i>In tea ceremony, participants take time to notice the design of the cup. Credit: Lonely Planet/Getty</i>.</span></span></p>
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<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">Tea ceremony, haiku and cherry-blossom viewing, for instance, all share a heightened appreciation of the moment. In tea ceremony, participants take time to notice the design of the cup before drinking and appreciate the decoration of the tea room, which reflects the foliage and blooms of the month. But beyond that, the ceremony celebrates the fact that this moment with this person in this place will never happen again.</p>
<blockquote class="both-indent1 blockquote"><p style="text-align: center;">This moment with this person in this place will never happen again.</p>
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<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">Haiku poetry, a Japanese literary tradition dating back to the 17th Century, elevated this celebration of the present moment to a world-renowned art form. Haiku poets attempt to capture the moment’s essence in just 17 syllables, using evocative images from nature to convey a Zen-like sense of sudden enlightenment. The most famous one is Matsuo Basho’s frog haiku, which translated from Japanese reads:</p>
<p class="body" style="text-align: center;"><em>An old pond<br/></em><em>a frog jumps<br/></em><em>the sound of water</em></p>
<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">And nowhere is this celebration of the moment more evident than in cherry-blossom viewing, which sweeps the nation like a fever every spring. Why such excitement? Precisely because the blossoms are so fleeting, lasting only a week or so. “Transience forms the Japanese sense of beauty,” said Zen priest and garden designer Shunmyo Masuno.</p>
<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">Transience is celebrated in dozens of lesser-known practices too, such as moon viewing. You can’t help but admire a country that sets aside a special evening in September for contemplating the full moon. Or that holds lavish festivals to give thanks for the work done by inanimate objects, including everything from<span> </span><a href="http://visit-miyajima-japan.com/en/culture-and-heritage/cultural-heritage-events-and-matsuri/march/ceremonie-couteaux-de-cuisine.html">old kitchen knives</a><span> </span>to<span> </span><a href="https://en.japantravel.com/hiroshima/kumano-brush-festival/853">calligraphy brushes</a><span> </span>and even<span> </span><a href="https://www.japan-experience.com/city-tokyo/hari-kuyo">used sewing needles</a>.</p>
<blockquote class="both-indent1 blockquote"><p style="text-align: center;">Transience forms the Japanese sense of beauty.</p>
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<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">And there are the growing ranks of Moss Girls. Inspired in part by Hisako Fujii’s best-selling book, Mosses, My Dear Friends, moss-viewing has become increasingly trendy, especially with young women, who go on guided tours to Japan’s lush moss-carpeted forests. This goes way beyond just stopping to smell the roses: Moss Girls get down on hands and knees with a loupe to contemplate the lovely growths.</p>
<div class="body story-image"><img alt="p051ycq9.jpg" src="https://pocket-syndicated-images.s3.amazonaws.com/5e8fa968c068f.jpg"/><p class="description" style="text-align: center;"><span class="caption"><span class="caption-content"><i>Nowhere is this celebration of the moment more evident than in cherry-blossom viewing. Credit: Angeles Marin Cabello</i>.<br/></span></span></p>
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<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">And while to the less mindful among us moss may seem insignificantly small, no Zen garden is complete without its moss-covered rock or stone lanterns. It’s the living embodiment of<span> </span><em>wabi-sabi –</em><span> </span>the spirit of humble, rustic impermanence that defines Japanese aesthetics.</p>
<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">But there’s more to Japanese mindfulness than gazing at bugs and blooms. Countless practical applications govern virtually every aspect of daily life, all designed to help you ‘be in the now’. At school, days begin and end with a short ceremony, where greetings are exchanged and the day’s events are announced. Before and after each class, students and teacher stand, bow and thank each other. And before starting the lesson, students are asked to close their eyes to focus their concentration.</p>
<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">Similarly, construction workers engage in collective stretches to limber up for the day’s work. In the office, a colleague will tell you '<em>Otsukaresama</em>', (literally ‘you’re tired’), as a way of saying thanks for the work you’ve done. At meetings, hand someone your<span> </span><em>meishi<span> </span></em>(business card) and they'll examine it carefully and make a comment, never dreaming of just sticking it in their pocket.</p>
<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">These practices are a way of what Kabat-Zinn calls ‘purposefully paying attention to things we ordinarily never give a moment’s thought to’. They help keep you conscious of where you are and what you are doing throughout the day, rather than stumbling from one hour to the next on autopilot, focused only on going-home time.</p>
<div class="body story-image"><img alt="p051ycpl.jpg" src="https://pocket-syndicated-images.s3.amazonaws.com/5e8fa9574d7dd.jpg"/><p class="description" style="text-align: center;"><span class="caption"><span class="caption-content"><i>Zen gardens embody wabi-sabi, the spirit of humble, rustic impermanence. Credit: Angeles Marin Cabello</i>.</span></span></p>
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<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">Like so much of Japanese culture, the roots of all these customs lie in Zen. “Mindfulness has been part of the Buddhist tradition for centuries,” said Takafumi Kawakami, priest at Kyoto’s Shunko-in temple. In the Kamakura Era (1185-1333), Zen became popular among the samurai class and had a formative influence on the arts, including tea ceremony, flower-arranging and landscape gardening. In the Edo Era (1603-1868), a time of peace, Zen found its way into the education of common people.</p>
<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">For its practitioners, Zen is an attitude that permeates every action: bathing, cooking, cleaning, working. “Every activity and behaviour in daily life is a practice [of Zen],” said Eriko Kuwagaki of Shinshoji Temple in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture.</p>
<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">A delightful old Zen story, collected in Paul Reps’ 1957 anthology of Zen texts,<span> </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Flesh-Bones-Collection-Writings/dp/0804831866">Zen Flesh, Zen Bones</a>, illustrates this point. After studying to be a Zen teacher for many years, Teno went to visit Nan-in, an old Zen master. It was raining heavily and, as is customary, Teno left his clogs and umbrella in the entrance before entering Nan-in’s house.</p>
<blockquote class="both-indent1 blockquote"><p style="text-align: center;">Every activity and behaviour in daily life is a practice [of Zen].</p>
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<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">After greeting each other, Nan-in asked Teno: “Did you leave your umbrella to the left or right of your clogs?” Unable to answer, Teno realised he was still a long way from attaining Zen, and went away to study for six more years.</p>
<div class="body story-image"><img alt="p051ycrw.jpg" src="https://pocket-syndicated-images.s3.amazonaws.com/5e8fa9416e900.jpg"/><p class="description" style="text-align: center;"><span class="caption"><span class="caption-content"><i>For its practitioners, Zen is an attitude that permeates every action. Credit: Shinshoji Zen Museum and Gardens</i>.</span></span></p>
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<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">Most of us might not want to take things quite so far. Nevertheless, Nan-in’s question remains relevant, as more and more researchers are discovering that present-moment awareness not only boosts stress resilience and well-being, but also lowers levels of anxiety and depression.</p>
<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">Leah Weiss, a senior teacher at Stanford University’s Compassion Cultivation Program, is one of a growing number of experts who advocate ‘mindfulness in action’. This is something to be practiced throughout the day, rather than just for 10 minutes’ meditation. Weiss described it as “becoming mindfully aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings even while you’re engaged in some other activity.”</p>
<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">So how can we put a little more mindfulness into our lives? Start with something simple, like a bit of pointing and calling before you leave home in the morning. Lights off? Check. Windows closed? Check. Money? Check. Phone? Check. You’ll never forget your keys again.</p>
<p class="body" style="text-align: center;">Then maybe you’ll have time to stop and notice the moss.<span> </span></p>
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What is Zen Buddhism as opposed to other kind of Buddhism.
tag:templeilluminatus.ning.com,2019-07-07:6363372:Topic:3471638
2019-07-07T00:13:46.428Z
Carmen Elsa Irarragorri Wyland
https://templeilluminatus.ning.com/profile/CarmenElsaIrarragorriWyland
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for zen buddhism definition" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81%2B8pLuHPuL.png"></img></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Per the Wikipedia:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b>Zen</b><span> </span>(<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characters" title="Traditional Chinese characters">Chinese</a>:<span> </span><span lang="zh-Hant" xml:lang="zh-Hant">禪</span>;<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin" title="Pinyin">pinyin</a>:<span> …</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81%2B8pLuHPuL.png" alt="Image result for zen buddhism definition"/></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Per the Wikipedia:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b>Zen</b><span> </span>(<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characters" title="Traditional Chinese characters">Chinese</a>:<span> </span><span lang="zh-Hant" xml:lang="zh-Hant">禪</span>;<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin" title="Pinyin">pinyin</a>:<span> </span><i><span lang="zh-Latn-pinyin" xml:lang="zh-Latn-pinyin">Chán</span></i>;<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_language" title="Korean language">Korean</a>:<span> </span><span lang="ko" xml:lang="ko">선</span>,<span> </span><small><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanization_of_Korean" title="Romanization of Korean">romanized</a>: </small><i lang="ko-Latn" title="Korean-language romanization" xml:lang="ko-Latn">Seon</i>) is a<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schools_of_Buddhism" title="Schools of Buddhism">school of Mahayana Buddhism</a><span> </span>that originated in<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China" title="China">China</a><span> </span>during the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_dynasty" title="Tang dynasty">Tang dynasty</a><span> </span>as the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chan_Buddhism" title="Chan Buddhism">Chan Buddhism</a><span> </span>(<i>Chánzong</i><span> </span>禅宗) and later developed into various schools. It was strongly influenced by<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoist_philosophy" title="Taoist philosophy">Taoist philosophy</a>, especially<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xuanxue" title="Xuanxue">Neo-Daoist</a><span> </span>thought, and developed as a distinct school of<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Buddhism" title="Chinese Buddhism">Chinese Buddhism.</a><span> </span>From China, Chán spread south to<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam" title="Vietnam">Vietnam</a><span> </span>and became<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_Thi%E1%BB%81n" title="Vietnamese Thiền">Vietnamese Thiền</a>, northeast to<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korea" title="Korea">Korea</a><span> </span>to become<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Seon" title="Korean Seon">Seon Buddhism</a>, and east to<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan" title="Japan">Japan</a>, becoming<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Zen" title="Japanese Zen">Japanese Zen</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHarvey1995159–169_2-0" class="reference"></sup></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The term Zen is derived from the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_language" title="Japanese language">Japanese</a><span> </span>pronunciation of the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Chinese" title="Middle Chinese">Middle Chinese</a><span> </span>word 禪 (<i>Chán</i>), which traces its roots to the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India" title="India">Indian</a><span> </span>practice of<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhy%C4%81na_in_Buddhism" title="Dhyāna in Buddhism"><i>dhyāna</i></a><span> </span>("<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditation" title="Meditation">meditation</a>").<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"></sup><span> </span>Zen emphasizes rigorous<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-control" title="Self-control">self-control</a>,<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_meditation" title="Buddhist meditation">meditation-practice</a>,<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prajnaparamita" title="Prajnaparamita">insight</a><span> </span>into the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tath%C4%81t%C4%81" title="Tathātā">nature of things</a><span> </span>(Ch.<span> </span><i>jianxing,</i><span> </span>Jp.<span> </span><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensh%C5%8D" title="Kenshō">kensho</a>,</i><span> </span>"perceiving the true nature"), and the personal expression of this insight in daily life, especially for<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva" title="Bodhisattva">the benefit of others</a>. <sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEYoshizawa201041_5-0" class="reference"></sup>As such, it de-emphasizes mere knowledge of<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutra" title="Sutra">sutras</a><span> </span>and doctrine<span> </span>and favors direct understanding through<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_practice" title="Spiritual practice">spiritual practice</a><span> </span>and interaction with an accomplished teacher.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEYampolski2003a3_9-0" class="reference"></sup></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The teachings of Zen include various sources of<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana" title="Mahayana">Mahayana</a><span> </span>thought, especially<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogachara" title="Yogachara">Yogachara</a>, the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tath%C4%81gatagarbha_s%C5%ABtras" title="Tathāgatagarbha sūtras">Tathāgatagarbha sūtras</a><span> </span>and the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huayan_school" class="mw-redirect" title="Huayan school">Huayan school</a>, with their emphasis on<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha-nature" title="Buddha-nature">Buddha-nature</a>,<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_truths_doctrine" title="Two truths doctrine">totality</a>, and the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva" title="Bodhisattva">Bodhisattva</a>-ideal.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDumoulin2005a48_10-0" class="reference"></sup>The<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prajnaparamita" title="Prajnaparamita">Prajñāpāramitā</a><span> </span>literature<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDumoulin2005a41–45_12-0" class="reference"></sup><span> </span>as well as<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhyamaka" title="Madhyamaka">Madhyamaka</a><span> </span>thought have also been influential in the shaping of the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apophatic_theology" title="Apophatic theology">apophatic</a><span> </span>and sometimes iconoclastic nature of Zen rhetori</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Meditation">Meditation</span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Common_meditation_forms">Common meditation forms</span></h3>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Mindfulness_of_breathing">Mindfulness of breathing</span></h4>
<div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hsuan_Hua_Hong_Kong_1.jpeg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Hsuan_Hua_Hong_Kong_1.jpeg/170px-Hsuan_Hua_Hong_Kong_1.jpeg" width="170" height="229" class="thumbimage align-center"/></a><div class="thumbcaption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="magnify"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hsuan_Hua_Hong_Kong_1.jpeg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>
Venerable<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hsuan_Hua" title="Hsuan Hua">Hsuan Hua</a>meditating in the Lotus Position.<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong" title="Hong Kong">Hong Kong</a>, 1953.</div>
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<div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dai_Bosatsu_Zendo_Kongo-Ji_2.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Dai_Bosatsu_Zendo_Kongo-Ji_2.jpg/170px-Dai_Bosatsu_Zendo_Kongo-Ji_2.jpg" width="170" height="128" class="thumbimage align-center"/></a><div class="thumbcaption">The 'meditation hall' (Jp.<span> </span><i>zendō</i>, Ch.<span> </span><i>chántáng</i>) of<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dai_Bosatsu_Zendo_Kongo-Ji" class="mw-redirect" title="Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-Ji">Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-Ji</a></div>
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<p style="text-align: center;">During sitting meditation (坐禅,<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_language" title="Chinese language">Ch.</a><span> </span><i>zuòchán,</i><span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_language" title="Japanese language">Jp.</a><span> </span><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zazen" title="Zazen">zazen</a></i>,<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_language" title="Korean language">Ko.</a><span> </span><i>jwaseon</i>), practitioners usually assume a position such as the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_position" title="Lotus position">lotus position</a>,<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_lotus" class="mw-redirect" title="Half lotus">half-lotus</a>, Burmese, or<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiza" title="Seiza">seiza</a>, often using the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudra#Dhy.C4.81na_Mudr.C4.81" title="Mudra">dhyāna</a><span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudra" title="Mudra">mudrā</a>. Often, a square or round cushion placed on a padded mat is used to sit on; in some other cases, a chair may be used.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">To regulate the mind, Zen students are often directed towards counting breaths. Either both exhalations and inhalations are counted, or one of them only. The count can be up to ten, and then this process is repeated until the mind is calmed.<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"></sup><span> </span>Zen teachers like<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omori_Sogen" title="Omori Sogen">Omori Sogen</a><span> </span>teach a series of long and deep exhalations and inhalations as a way to prepare for regular breath meditation.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"></sup><span> </span>Attention is usually placed on the energy center (<i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dantian" title="Dantian">dantian</a></i>) below the navel.<sup id="cite_ref-shengyen_26-0" class="reference"></sup><span> </span>Zen teachers often promote<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaphragmatic_breathing" title="Diaphragmatic breathing">diaphragmatic breathing</a>, stating that the breath must come from the lower abdomen (known as<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hara_(tanden)" title="Hara (tanden)">hara</a><span> </span>or tanden in Japanese), and that this part of the body should expand forward slightly as one breathes.<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"></sup><span> </span>Over time the breathing should become smoother, deeper and slower.<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"></sup><span> </span>When the counting becomes an encumbrance, the practice of simply following the natural rhythm of breathing with concentrated attention is recommended.<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference"></sup><sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"></sup></p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Silent_Illumination_and_Just_Sitting">Silent Illumination and Just Sitting</span></h4>
<p style="text-align: center;">Another common form of sitting meditation is called "Silent illumination" (Ch.<span> </span><i>mòzhào,</i><span> </span>Jp<i>. mokushō</i>). This practice was traditionally promoted by the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caodong_school" title="Caodong school">Caodong</a><span> </span>school of<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chan_Buddhism" title="Chan Buddhism">Chinese Chan</a><span> </span>and is associated with<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hongzhi_Zhengjue" title="Hongzhi Zhengjue">Hongzhi Zhengjue</a><span> </span> who wrote various works on the practice.<span> </span>This method derives from the Indian Buddhist practice of the union (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit" title="Sanskrit">Skt.</a><span> </span><i>yuganaddha</i>) of<span> </span><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samatha" title="Samatha">śamatha</a></i><span> </span>and<span> </span><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipassan%C4%81" title="Vipassanā">vipaśyanā</a>.</i></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">In Hongzhi's practice of "nondual objectless meditation" the mediator strives to be aware of the totality of phenomena instead of focusing on a single object, without any interference,<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prapa%C3%B1ca" class="mw-redirect" title="Prapañca">conceptualizing</a>,<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up%C4%81d%C4%81na" title="Upādāna">grasping</a>,<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aimlessness_(Buddhism)" title="Aimlessness (Buddhism)">goal seeking</a>, or<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81#Yog%C4%81c%C4%81ra_school" title="Śūnyatā">subject-object duality</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">This practice is also popular in the major schools of<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Zen" title="Japanese Zen">Japanese Zen</a>, but especially<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C5%8Dt%C5%8D" title="Sōtō">Sōtō</a>, where it is more widely known as<span> </span><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikantaza" title="Shikantaza">Shikantaza (Ch. zhǐguǎn dǎzuò, "Just sitting")</a>.</i><span> </span>Considerable textual, philosophical, and phenomenological justification of the practice can be found throughout the work of the Japanese<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C5%8Dt%C5%8D" title="Sōtō">Sōtō</a><span> </span>Zen thinker<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C5%8Dgen" title="Dōgen">Dōgen</a>, especially in his<span> </span><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Db%C5%8Dgenz%C5%8D" title="Shōbōgenzō">Shōbōgenzō</a></i>, for example in the "Principles of Zazen"<sup id="cite_ref-zazengi_34-0" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen#cite_note-zazengi-34">]</a></sup><span> </span>and the "Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen".<sup id="cite_ref-fukanzazengi_35-0" class="reference"></sup><span> </span>While the Japanese and the Chinese forms are similar, they are distinct approaches.<sup id="cite_ref-36" class="reference"></sup></p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Hua_Tou_and_Kōan_contemplation">Hua Tou and Kōan contemplation</span>:<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dan" title="Kōan">Kōan</a></h4>
<div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:%E6%9D%B1%E5%B6%BA%E5%9C%93%E6%85%88%E6%89%8B%E6%9B%B8%E7%84%A1.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1f/%E6%9D%B1%E5%B6%BA%E5%9C%93%E6%85%88%E6%89%8B%E6%9B%B8%E7%84%A1.jpg/170px-%E6%9D%B1%E5%B6%BA%E5%9C%93%E6%85%88%E6%89%8B%E6%9B%B8%E7%84%A1.jpg" width="170" height="143" class="thumbimage align-center"/></a><div class="thumbcaption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="magnify"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:%E6%9D%B1%E5%B6%BA%E5%9C%93%E6%85%88%E6%89%8B%E6%9B%B8%E7%84%A1.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>
Calligraphy of "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu_(negative)" title="Mu (negative)">Mu</a>" (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin" title="Pinyin">Hanyu Pinyin</a>:<span> </span><i>wú</i>) by Torei Enji. It figures in the famous<span> </span><i>Zhaozhou's dog</i><span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dan" title="Kōan">kōan</a></div>
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<p style="text-align: center;">During the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_dynasty" title="Tang dynasty">Tang dynasty</a>,<span> </span><i>gōng'àn (</i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_language" title="Japanese language">Jp.</a><span> </span><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dan" title="Kōan">kōan</a>)</i><span> </span>literature became popular. Literally meaning "public case", they were stories or dialogues, describing teachings and interactions between<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_master" title="Zen master">Zen masters</a><span> </span>and their students. These anecdotes give a demonstration of the master's insight. Kōan are meant to illustrate the non-conceptual insight (<i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praj%C3%B1%C4%81_(Buddhism)" title="Prajñā (Buddhism)">prajña</a></i>) that the Buddhist teachings point to. During the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%B2ng_dynasty" class="mw-redirect" title="Sòng dynasty">Sòng dynasty</a>, a new meditation method was popularized by figures such as<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dahui_Zonggao" title="Dahui Zonggao">Dahui</a>, which was called<span> </span><i>kanhua chan</i><span> </span>("observing the phrase" meditation), which referred to contemplation on a single word or phrase (called the<span> </span><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hua_Tou" title="Hua Tou">huatou</a></i>, "critical phrase") of a<span> </span><i>gōng'àn</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBlyth1966_37-0" class="reference"></sup><span> </span>In<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chan_Buddhism" title="Chan Buddhism">Chinese Chan</a><span> </span>and<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Seon" title="Korean Seon">Korean Seon</a>, this practice of "observing the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hua_Tou" title="Hua Tou"><i>huatou</i></a>" (<i>hwadu</i><span> </span>in Korean) is a widely practiced method.It was taught by the influential Seon master<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinul" title="Jinul">Chinul</a>, and modern Chinese masters like<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheng-yen" title="Sheng-yen">Sheng Yen</a><span> </span>and<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xuyun" title="Xuyun">Xuyun</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">In the Japanese<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rinzai_school" title="Rinzai school">Rinzai</a><span> </span>school,<span> </span><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dan" title="Kōan">kōan</a></i><span> </span>introspection developed its own formalized style, with a standardized curriculum of<span> </span><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dan" title="Kōan">kōans</a></i>, which must be studies and "passed" in sequence. This process includes standardized "checking questions" (<i>sassho</i>) and common sets of "capping phrases" (<i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jakugo" title="Jakugo">jakugo</a></i>) or poetry citations that are memorized by students as answers.<sup id="cite_ref-39" class="reference"></sup><span> </span>The Zen student's mastery of a given kōan is presented to the teacher in a private interview (referred to in Japanese as<span> </span><i>dokusan</i>,<span> </span><i>daisan</i>, or<span> </span><i>sanzen</i>). While there is no unique answer to a kōan, practitioners are expected to demonstrate their spiritual understanding through their responses. The teacher may approve or disapprove of the answer and guide the student in the right direction. The interaction with a teacher is central in Zen, but makes Zen practice also vulnerable to misunderstanding and exploitation.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTELachs2006_40-0" class="reference"></sup><span> </span>Kōan-inquiry may be practiced during<span> </span><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zazen" title="Zazen">zazen</a></i><span> </span>(sitting meditation)<i>,<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinhin" class="mw-redirect" title="Kinhin">kinhin</a></i><span> </span>(walking meditation), and throughout all the activities of daily life. The goal of the practice is often termed<span> </span><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensh%C5%8D" title="Kenshō">kensho</a></i><span> </span>(seeing one's true nature).</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Kōan practice is particularly emphasized in<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rinzai_school" title="Rinzai school">Rinzai</a>, but it also occurs in other schools or branches of Zen depending on the teaching line.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTELoori2006_41-0" class="reference"></sup></p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Nianfo_chan">Nianfo chan</span></h4>
<p style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nianfo" title="Nianfo">Nianfo</a></i><span> </span>(Jp.<span> </span><i>nembutsu,</i><span> </span>from Skt.<span> </span><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddh%C4%81nusm%E1%B9%9Bti" title="Buddhānusmṛti">buddhānusmṛti</a></i><span> </span>"recollection of the Buddha") refers to the recitation of the Buddha's name, in most cases the Buddha<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amit%C4%81bha" title="Amitābha">Amitabha</a>. In Chinese Chan, the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pure_Land_Buddhism" title="Pure Land Buddhism">Pure Land</a><span> </span>practice of<span> </span><i>nianfo</i><span> </span>based on the phrase<span> </span><i>Nāmó Āmítuófó</i><span> </span>(Homage to Amitabha) is a widely practiced form of Zen meditation. This practice was adopted from<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pure_Land_Buddhism" title="Pure Land Buddhism">Pure land Buddhism</a><span> </span>and<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syncretism" title="Syncretism">syncretized</a><span> </span>with Chan meditation by Chinese figures such as<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yongming_Yanshou" title="Yongming Yanshou">Yongming Yanshou</a>,<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhongfeng_Mingben" title="Zhongfeng Mingben">Zhongfen Mingben</a>, and<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tianru_Weize&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Tianru Weize (page does not exist)">Tianru Weize</a>. During the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming_dynasty" title="Ming dynasty">late Ming</a>, the harmonization of Pure land practices with Chan meditation was continued by figures such as<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Hong" title="Zhu Hong">Yunqi Zhuhong</a><span> </span>and<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanshan_Deqing" title="Hanshan Deqing">Hanshan Deqing</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">This practice, as well as its adaptation into the "<i>nembutsu<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dan" title="Kōan">kōan</a></i>" was also used by the Japanese<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Cbaku#Characteristics" title="Ōbaku">Ōbaku school</a><span> </span>of Zen.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Pointing_to_the_nature_of_the_mind">Pointing to the nature of the mind</span></h3>
<p style="text-align: center;">According to Charles Luk, in the earliest traditions of Chán, there was no fixed method or formula for teaching meditation, and all instructions were simply heuristic methods, to point to the true nature of the mind, also known as<span> </span><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha-nature" title="Buddha-nature">Buddha-nature</a></i>.<span> </span>According to Luk, this method is referred to as the "Mind Dharma", and exemplified in the story (in the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flower_Sermon" title="Flower Sermon">Flower Sermon</a>) of Śākyamuni Buddha holding up a flower silently, and<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mah%C4%81k%C4%81%C5%9Byapa" title="Mahākāśyapa">Mahākāśyapa</a><span> </span>smiling as he understood.<sup id="cite_ref-Luk_43-1" class="reference"></sup><span> </span>A traditional formula of this is, "Chán points directly to the human mind, to enable people to see their true nature and become buddhas.<sup id="cite_ref-44" class="reference"></sup></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Explained in my own way, I would say that Zen Buddhism considers the mind being an intermediary between the senses and the true Self. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Therefore, in order to reach beyond the senses and get to the true Self, we need to pass over the mind, and the objective of Zen is to do just that, to put the mind at rest, it first shows to ourselves its inadequacies, through the use of Koans or unanswerable questions, questions that can not be answered by the mind. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">In frustration, the mind stops thinking and allows us to go beyond it. </p>
The Zen of Not Knowing
tag:templeilluminatus.ning.com,2018-12-10:6363372:Topic:3448183
2018-12-10T00:55:38.565Z
Carmen Elsa Irarragorri Wyland
https://templeilluminatus.ning.com/profile/CarmenElsaIrarragorriWyland
<p style="text-align: center;">“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s there are few.”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">By <a href="https://tricycle.org/author/zenkeiblanchehartman/">Zenkei Blanche Hartman</a></p>
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<p><img alt="The Zen of Not Knowing" class="attachment-medium_large size-medium_large" height="538" src="https://tricycle.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/zen-not-knowing-1024x538.jpg" width="1024"></img></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Beginner’s mind is Zen practice in action. It is the mind that is innocent of preconceptions and expectations, judgments and prejudices. Beginner’s mind is just present…</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s there are few.”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">By <a href="https://tricycle.org/author/zenkeiblanchehartman/">Zenkei Blanche Hartman</a></p>
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<p><img width="1024" height="538" class="attachment-medium_large size-medium_large" alt="The Zen of Not Knowing" src="https://tricycle.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/zen-not-knowing-1024x538.jpg"/></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Beginner’s mind is Zen practice in action. It is the mind that is innocent of preconceptions and expectations, judgments and prejudices. Beginner’s mind is just present to explore and observe and see “things as they are.” I think of beginner’s mind as the mind that faces life like a small child, full of curiosity and wonder and amazement. “I wonder what this is? I wonder what that is? I wonder what this means?” Without approaching things with a fixed point of view or a prior judgment, just asking “What is it?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">”I was having lunch with Indigo, a small child, at City Center [a Soto Zen practice center in San Francisco]. He saw an object on the table and got very interested in it. He picked it up and started fooling with it: looking at it, putting it in his mouth, and banging on the table with it—just engaging with it without any previous idea of what it was. For Indigo, it was just an interesting thing, and it was a delight to him to see what he could do with this thing. You and I would see it and say, “It’s a spoon. It sits there and you use it for soup.”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">It doesn’t have all the possibilities that he finds in it.Watching Indigo, you can see the innocence of “What is it?”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Can we look at our lives in such a way? Can we look at all of the aspects of our lives with this mind, just open to seeing what there is to see? I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time doing that. I have a lot of habits of mind—I think most of us do. Children begin to lose that innocent quality after a while, and soon they want to be “the one who knows.”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">We all want to be the one who knows. But if we decide we “know” something, we are not open to other possibilities anymore. And that’s a shame. We lose something very vital in our life when it’s more important to us to be one who knows than it is to be awake to what’s happening. We get disappointed because we expect one thing, and it doesn’t happen quite like that. Or we think something ought to be like this, and it turns out different. Instead of saying, “Oh, isn’t that interesting,” we say, “Yuck, not what I thought it would be.” Pity. The very nature of beginner’s mind is not knowing in a certain way, not being an expert.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">As Suzuki Roshi said in the prologue to <i>Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind</i>, “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s there are few.” As an expert, you’ve already got it figured out, so you don’t need to pay attention to what’s happening. Pity.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">How can we cultivate this mind that is free to just be awake? In zazen<i>,</i> in just sitting, in sitting and noticing the busyness of our mind and all of the fixed views that we carry. Once we notice the fixed views that we are carrying around with us, the preconceptions that we are carrying around with us, then it is possible for us to let them go and say, “Well, maybe so, maybe not.” Suzuki Roshi once said, “The essence of Zen is ‘Not always so.’” Not always so. It’s a good little phrase to carry around when you’re sure. It gives you an opportunity to look again more carefully and see what other possibilities there might be in the situation.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I don’t know about you, but when I started to sit, I really began to see how many fixed ideas and fixed views I had. How much judgment was ready right on the tip of my tongue. How much expectation, how much preconception I was carrying around with me all the time, and how much it got in the way of actually noticing what was happening. I don’t want to tell you that after years I’m free of all that, but at least I notice it sooner, and I sometimes don’t get caught in believing it.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">First, before you can let go of preconceptions and expectations and prejudices, you have to notice them; otherwise, they’re just carrying on unconsciously and affecting everything you do. But as you sit, you begin to recognize the really persistent ones: “Oh my gosh . . . you again! Didn’t I just deal with you yesterday?” And again. And again. Pretty soon, you can’t take them seriously. They just keep popping up and popping up and popping up, and after a while you become really familiar with them. And you can’t get so buried under something once you realize that it’s just a habitual state of mind and doesn’t have much to do with what’s right in front of you. It’s just something that you haul around with you all the time and bring out for every occasion. It hasn’t much to do with the present situation. Sometimes you can actually say, “Oh, I think I’m just hauling that around with me. I don’t think it has anything to do with this.”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">In her poem “When Death Comes,” Mary Oliver has a few lines that say, “When it’s over, I want to say: all my life / I was a bride married to amazement. / I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">This is beginner’s mind: “I’ve been a bride married to amazement.” Just how amazing the world is, how amazing our life is. How amazing that the sun comes up in the morning or that the wisteria blooms in the spring. “A bride married to amazement, . . . the bridegroom taking the world into my arms.” Can you live your life with that kind of wholeheartedness, with that kind of thoroughness? This is the beginner’s mind that Suzuki Roshi is pointing to, is encouraging us to cultivate. He is encouraging us to see where we are stuck with fixed views and see if we can, as Kosho Uchiyama Roshi says, “open the hand of thought” and let the fixed view go. This is our effort. This is our work. Just to be here, ready to meet whatever is next without expectation or prejudice or preconceptions. Just “What is it? What is this, I wonder?”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">So please, cultivate your beginner’s mind. Be willing not to be an expert. Be willing not to know. Not knowing is nearest. Not knowing is most intimate.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">♦</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>From</em> Seeds for a Boundless Life <em>by Zenkei Blanche Hartman, © 2015 by Zenkei Blanche Hartman. Reprinted by arrangement with <a href="http://www.shambhala.com/">Shambhala Publications</a>, Inc. Boston, MA.</em></p>
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The advantages of the Zen Meditation System
tag:templeilluminatus.ning.com,2018-11-12:6363372:Topic:3442931
2018-11-12T23:19:47.871Z
Carmen Elsa Irarragorri Wyland
https://templeilluminatus.ning.com/profile/CarmenElsaIrarragorriWyland
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<p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-align: center; box-sizing: border-box;">Zen <span style="text-decoration: underline;">meditation</span> is an ancient Buddhist tradition that dates back to the<span> </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Tang Dynasty</em><span> </span>in 7th century China. From its Chinese origins it spread to Korea, Japan and other Asian lands where it continues to thrive. The Japanese term “Zen” is a derivative of the Chinese word Ch’an, itself a translation of the Indian term dhyana, which means concentration or meditation.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-align: center; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #686868; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Zen meditation is a traditional Buddhist discipline which can be practiced by new and seasoned meditators alike. One of the many benefits of Zen meditation is that it provides insight into how the mind works. As with other forms of Buddhist meditation, Zen practice can benefit people in myriad ways, including providing tools to help cope with depression and anxiety issues. The deepest purpose is<span> </span></span><a style="color: #d46b3e; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; widows: 2; transition-property: color, background-color, border-color; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" href="https://mindworks.org/blog/what-is-spiritual-meditation/">spiritual</a><span style="color: #686868; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">, as the practice of Zen meditation uncovers the innate clarity and workability of the mind. In Zen, experiencing this original nature of mind is experiencing awakening.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-align: center; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #686868; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Because it is recognizing not only what the mind is, but how the mind is limited, we realize the need to go way beyond it in order to reach deeper parts of ourselves.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-align: center; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #686868; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">At first it would appear that has no real basis for its concept, but when we go beyond the mind, we find Worlds unknown and yet to be discovered, we find the root and cause of our origins and the fountain from whence we stemmed.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-align: center; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #686868; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">To go beyond the mind is to reach levels of being of which we had not become familiar with, as yet.</span> <span style="color: #686868; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">In a real sense, is the beginning of real Spirituality. Is going beyond the known into the unknown and yet the continuity of whom we really are a part of.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-align: center; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #686868; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">It is to transcend that to which we have become accustomed, is to get to know the unknown yet knowable that we have not looked into as yet.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-align: center; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #686868; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">It is a very transcendental philosophy, the philosophy of the Real Self.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-align: center; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #686868; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><img alt="Image result for images zen meditation" src="https://zenmusictherapycollective.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Endless-Zen-Meditation-Sessions-730x350.jpg"/></span></p>
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How To Practice Zen Meditation?
tag:templeilluminatus.ning.com,2017-04-07:6363372:Topic:3286870
2017-04-07T14:02:22.870Z
SunKat
https://templeilluminatus.ning.com/profile/SunKat
<h3><span class="font-size-4">The practice of Zen meditation or Zazen is at the heart of the Zen Buddhist experience. Originally called Dhyana in India, Zen meditation is a very simple yet precise method of meditation, where the correct posture is imperative.</span></h3>
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<h2><strong>The Room</strong></h2>
<p>Before starting your meditation, you need to find…</p>
<h3><span class="font-size-4">The practice of Zen meditation or Zazen is at the heart of the Zen Buddhist experience. Originally called Dhyana in India, Zen meditation is a very simple yet precise method of meditation, where the correct posture is imperative.</span></h3>
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<h2><strong>The Room</strong></h2>
<p>Before starting your meditation, you need to find a quiet and peaceful place where you will not be disturbed. The room where you will practice in should not be too dark or too bright, too warm or too cold.</p>
<h2><strong>Various Postures</strong></h2>
<p>There are different ways that you can practice Zen meditation. Traditionally, only the full lotus position or the half lotus position is used. If you lack flexibility, it is also possible, yet least recommended, to practice Zazen kneeling or to sit on a chair.</p>
<p>Zazen is practiced sitting on a zafu, a thick and round cushion, in the full lotus (Kekkafuza in Japanese) or half-lotus position (Hankafuza in Japanese). The purpose of this cushion is to elevate the hips, thus forcing the knees to be firmly rooted to the floor. This way, your Zazen will be a lot more stable and also comfortable. Additionally, you need to have a zabuton, which is a rectangular mat that is placed under the zafu to cushion the knees and legs.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.zen-buddhism.net/images/kekkafuza.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.zen-buddhism.net/images/kekkafuza.gif" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1"><strong>Full lotus meditation position (Kekkafuza)*</strong></span></p>
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<p><span><span>Ideally, its is recommended that you </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=zafu%20meditation%20cushion&linkCode=ur2&sprefix=zafu%2Caps%2C213&tag=zen-books02-20&url=search-alias%3Daps&linkId=HQCWJ7B4XQL5ZO6O">buy a zafu</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=zen-books02-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt=""/><span> but, as a beginner, you can fold up a thick blanket to work as a zafu. Zafus are usually around 13-14 inches in diameter but can be found in a variety of sizes. You can also utilize a thick blanket as a homemade zabuton.</span></span></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.zen-buddhism.net/images/hankafuza.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.zen-buddhism.net/images/hankafuza.gif" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1"><strong>Half lotus meditation position (Hankafuza)*</strong></span></p>
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<p>For the half-lotus position, put either foot on top of the opposite thigh, and place the other foot on the floor underneath the other thigh. For the full lotus position, put each foot on the opposite thigh with the line of the toes matching the outer line of the thighs. It is important to “push” the sky with the top of your head and to push the floor with your knees.</p>
<p>These postures might seem uncomfortable and unnatural for most beginners, but with practice, your legs and hips will become more flexible, your mind will relax, and you will find the posture to be quite comfortable.</p>
<p>If these postures are too uncomfortable, try sitting in seiza, the traditional kneeling position used in Japan for regular sitting in daily life. If that posture is also too uncomfortable, you can use a meditation bench. You can also sit on a chair without using the backrest.</p>
<p>The important point of this posture is to keep the body upright and well balanced; try not to lean in any direction, neither right nor left, neither forward nor backward.</p>
<h2><strong>Head And Neck</strong></h2>
<p>Whatever the position you choose to adopt, make sure that your back and neck stay as straight as possible. Pull your chin in a little to erect the neck and try to “push the sky” with the top of your head. Do not be too tensed or too relaxed while you do this; try to find balance in your posture. Keep your mouth closed during zazen; your teeth should be together, and your tongue should be against the roof of your mouth just behind your teeth.</p>
<h2><strong>The Eyes</strong></h2>
<p>Traditionally in Zen, the eyes are kept open during meditation. This prevents the meditator from daydreaming or becoming drowsy. Without focusing on nothing in particular, direct your vision about one meter in front of you on the floor. Your eyes will naturally come to rest in a position that is half opened and half closed. When doing zazen in a soto dojo (meditation hall), the meditator sit facing a wall in order to avoid distracted by external movement. It is suggested to do the same at home.</p>
<h2><strong>Hands & Arms Position</strong></h2>
<p>The position of the hands during Zazen is the same for the full lotus, half lotus, seiza and chair positions. This hand position is called the Cosmic Mudra or Hokkaijoin in Japanese. First, put your left hand on the right one, and palms turned towards the sky. Now, make an oval by touching the tips of the thumbs together so that your thumbs touch each other and form a somewhat straight line. The tips of your thumbs should lightly touch each other. Both of your wrists should rest on your thighs; the edge of your hands should rest against your belly. Keep your shoulders relaxed.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.zen-buddhism.net/images/hokkaijoin.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.zen-buddhism.net/images/hokkaijoin.gif" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font-size-1">Cosmic Mudra meditation position (Hokkaijoin)*</span></strong></p>
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<p>There are two reasons for this hand position. First, shape of the hands harmonizes the condition of our minds. The meaning of the mudra is «beyond duality». Secondly, if your mind is somewhere else when you sit, naturally the shape of this oval becomes distorted. This can be a signal for yourself that something is wrong with your meditation and for your teacher so that he can correct you.</p>
<h2><strong>Breathing</strong></h2>
<p>Zen breathing cannot be compared with any other, and it is a fundamental part of the Zazen practice. The correct breathing can only be achieved through the right posture. During Zazen, breathe quietly through the nose and keep the mouth closed.</p>
<p>Try to establish a calm, long and deep natural rhythm. You should focus on exhalation while inhalation is done naturally. Zen breathing and martial arts breathing are similar, and they can be compared to the mooing of a cow or the roaring of a tiger.</p>
<h2><strong>The State Of Mind</strong></h2>
<p>As with breathing, the mindset is essential in the practice of Zen meditation. The right state of mind emerges naturally from a deep concentration on the posture and breathing. During zazen, it is normal to have images, thoughts and emotions coming up to the surface, appearing from the unconscious mind. Do not pursue them or fight escape from them. The more you try to get rid of them, the more attention you give them, and the stronger they become. Try not to attach to them. Just let them go without judgement, like clouds in the sky.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.zen-buddhism.net/images/zazen.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.zen-buddhism.net/images/zazen.gif" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1"><strong>Complete zazen position*</strong></span></p>
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<p>So, as soon as you become aware that you are interacting or grasping on thoughts, immediately bring back your concentration to your posture and breathing; your mind will settle down naturally.</p>
<p>With experience, you will have less and less thoughts during Zazen, and your mind will come to rest more easily and more quickly.</p>
<p>As Zen master, Taisen Deshimaru said: “<i>By simply sitting, without looking for any goal or any personal benefit, if your posture, your breathing and your state of mind are in harmony, you will understand the true Zen; you will understand the Buddha's nature.</i>”</p>
<h2><strong>Beginning Zazen</strong></h2>
<p>Now it’s time to start Zazen. To avoid distraction, it is recommended that you practice facing a wall, as you would do in a training hall (dojo) or a monastery. Place your zafu on your zabuton so that, once sitting, your body is about one meter away from the wall. If you are using a kneeling bench or a chair, also try to position yourself a meter away from the wall.</p>
<p>Once you have taken the position that is the most comfortable for you, take a few deep breath. Close your hands into a fist with your thumbs inside your fingers and the back of your hands on your knees, with the fingers up. Now, slowly balance your body from left to right three or four times.</p>
<p>Next, do gassho. Place your palms against each other as if in prayer, and bend forward a few seconds as a sign of respect for the Buddha and the Buddha’s teaching or Dharma. Finally, place your hands in the Hokkaijoin position, and keep your back and neck straight (push the sky with the top of your head) and start Zazen. As a beginner, it is advised to practice for 15 to 30 minutes. A good way to keep track of timer during zazen at home, instead of checking time constantly, is to use a meditation timer on your phone. I would recommend two timer: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/enso-meditation-timer-bell/id840637879?mt=8" target="_blank">Enso</a> for iOS and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.co.webimpact.android.undo&hl=en" target="_blank">Undo</a> for Android.</p>
<h2><strong>Finishing Zazen</strong></h2>
<p>Once you have finished Zazen, do gassho again. Remain sitting on the cushion calmly and quietly for a few moments; don't hurry to stand up. Try not to talk for a few minutes after completing Zazen.</p>
<p><i>*These images were respectfully taken from the highly recommended book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0870404008/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0870404008&linkCode=as2&tag=urbaneselectp-20&linkId=DUTWLPN56V5FHTYZ" target="_blank">How to Practice Zazen</a>" by Gudo Nishijima and Joe Langdon.</i></p>
<p><span>Learn more about Zazen (video):</span> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_vQVnlgJOI&list=PL8s_8XdONjSJjR76X5ex94oKmdRhzOq3h&index=17" target="_blank">How to do Zazen?</a></p>
<p><span><a href="http://www.zen-buddhism.net/zen-concepts/mushotoku.html" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg text-uppercase" title="Mushotoku zen concept"> </a></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1"><em><a href="http://www.zen-buddhism.net/practice/zen-meditation.html" target="_blank">http://www.zen-buddhism.net/practice/zen-meditation.html</a><br/></em></span></p>
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A Beautiful, Heart-Warming Way to get out of a Meditation Slump
tag:templeilluminatus.ning.com,2017-04-07:6363372:Topic:3286923
2017-04-07T13:25:10.775Z
SunKat
https://templeilluminatus.ning.com/profile/SunKat
<p><span>Via Andres Pelenur</span><br></br> <span>on Mar 22, 2017</span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/423451?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/423451?profile=original" width="481"></img></a></span></p>
<h3>If we are searching for a way to deepen our <a href="https://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/11/mindfulness-for-beginners-dispelling-7-myths-of-meditation/">meditation</a>, chanting is the one thing we might be missing.</h3>
<p>The day I was initiated into meditation was also the same day…</p>
<p><span>Via Andres Pelenur</span><br/> <span>on Mar 22, 2017</span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/423451?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/423451?profile=original" width="481" class="align-center"/></a></span></p>
<h3>If we are searching for a way to deepen our <a href="https://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/11/mindfulness-for-beginners-dispelling-7-myths-of-meditation/">meditation</a>, chanting is the one thing we might be missing.</h3>
<p>The day I was initiated into meditation was also the same day I learned how to chant.</p>
<p>The year was 1992, and it was my first visit to a well-known ashram in Upstate New York.</p>
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<p>As we sat in a beautiful white-marbled hall, Swami Chidvilasananda (affectionately known as Gurumayi) led us through 40 minutes of a chant called “Jaya Jaya Shiva Shambo,” meaning hail to Lord Shiva, the bringer of happiness and joy. After the chant died down, she led us straight into meditation.</p>
<p>Although I didn’t realize it at the time, I had received a most powerful gift.</p>
<p>When I got back to Montreal, I was eager to devote my life to meditation, and even perhaps renounce everything and become a swami. The only problem was that I was 19 years old and just beginning my undergraduate career. Still, with adamantine resolve, I woke up each day at 5:30 a.m. to shower and meditate.</p>
<p>Luckily, I took to meditation easily and began experiencing the most wonderful states of peace and bliss. In addition to this newly discovered passion, I faithfully attended the weekly Thursday evening <em><a href="https://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/12/finding-family-in-satsang/" target="_blank">satsang</a></em> (gathering) at the local meditation center where our primary activity was to chant our hearts out to God.</p>
<p>There are many modes and styles of chanting within the broader Hindu tradition.</p>
<p>Chants can be in any Indian language, although most are in Sanskrit, and are usually devotions to any of the Gods or Goddesses that make up the Hindu pantheon. Styles include <em>bhajans, kirtana</em> or <em>kirtan,</em> and <em>swadhyaya</em> (recitation of scriptures).</p>
<p>I’m generalizing, but in my experience, bhajans tend to be longer, melodic songs, sometimes in call and response style, but often just sung in an ordinary fashion.</p>
<p>Kirtans, on the other hand, are explicitly call and response, and they tend to be limited to two or three phrases that are repeated over and over again. The chants are restricted to a few notes, which gives them their haunting quality, and they can be sung in any of the heart-melting classical Indian <em>ragas,</em> or musical motifs. Some kirtans inspire stillness while others invoke spiritual yearning. Other melodies fill our hearts with gratitude.</p>
<p>Swadhyaya, on the other hand, refers to the recitation, also in Sanskrit, of a scriptural passage or of an entire scripture.</p>
<p><iframe width="644" height="362" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z5ZGao9JsqE?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p>So there I was every Thursday evening, chanting a Sanskrit kirtana with all my heart. Meditation and chanting had become my main practices, and what I didn’t realize was how these two complementing and mutually reinforcing practices would inspire my <em><a href="https://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/11/spiritual-practice-sadhana-can-be-the-kindest-gift-you-can-give-to-yourself-the-world-chameli-ardagh/" target="_blank">sadhana</a>,</em> or spiritual practice.</p>
<p>Let me explain.</p>
<p>Although meditation can yield plenty of peace and bliss, the act of meditating still requires a gentle effort to keep our attention on our object of focus (a mantra, in my case). Even in so-called effortless meditations, simply maintaining a refreshed awareness is itself a kind of effort.</p>
<p>For example, in mindfulness meditation, the act of coming back to awareness after our mind is dragged into a thought cannot be done without gently applying our will. That is why I always teach that there is no such thing as a truly effortless meditation.</p>
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<p>When we meditate, we are, in effect, gathering our energies unto ourselves like a tortoise gathers its limbs. Although meditation reveals peace and bliss, the daily act of turning our attention away from our thoughts, emotions, and other perceptions creates an austere inner environment.</p>
<p>In this way, meditation is a kind of paradox, because it can be simultaneously overflowing, yet at the same time, austere. As long as our practice is blissful, everything will feel nice, but when we hit the inevitable plateau, our meditation sessions can go from divine to dry in a matter of days.</p>
<p>Whenever we feel stuck or uninspired, we can replenish our heart by experiencing a rush of cathartic emotion. However, the option to bring about those feelings are limited for many yoginis because deep meditation often results in a natural aversion to some of the pleasures and activities we previously enjoyed.</p>
<p>Patañjali, in his <em><a href="https://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/12/6-classic-sutras-to-guide-us-every-day/" target="_blank">Yoga Sutras</a>,</em> discusses one aspect of this in Sutra 2:40, which states: <em>through cleanliness and purity of body and mind, one develops disinterest toward one’s own body, and becomes disinclined toward intercourse with another body.</em></p>
<p>If we lack the desire to re-energize our batteries through our old social habits, we might find ourselves in a kind of limbo. This is not a bad thing, since there is a specific reason why meditators turn away from old pastimes.</p>
<p>As many of us know, the <a href="https://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/09/tantra-practice-3-steps-to-meaningful-mindfulness-meditation/">Tantric tradition</a> prohibits us from indulging in activities that are seen as draining our <em>Shakti,</em> the spiritual energy we draw down in meditation. This can include consuming alcohol and meat, going to bars and clubs, or staying up late (which disrupts our meditation routine). Although people think that Tantra means embracing the senses and enjoying everything life has to offer, in reality, Tantric masters such as Swami Lakshmanjoo lived highly disciplined and austere lives. Chanting bridges this gap by offering a way to engage all our senses and emotions, while at the same time preserving and enhancing our Shakti.</p>
<p>In her article “<a href="https://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/10/the-power-of-chanting-melanie-cooper/">The Power of Chanting</a>,” Melanie Cooper highlights some of the physical benefits of chanting. We oxygenate our brain, lower our heart rate, and stimulate the production of beneficial hormones.</p>
<p>But beyond the physical, kirtan melodies can be deeply moving, flooding us with love, gratitude, yearning, and even melancholy. The intense emotions that chanting invokes allow us to release tensions and heal.</p>
<p>Beyond the emotional payoff, I’ve found that the vibrations of the Sanskrit words have a profound effect in calming the mind. The vibrations of the Sanskrit phonemes linger long after the chant, allowing our mind to easily sink into meditation the next morning. When we chant, our mind is contemplating the Lord, which attracts grace. In short, chanting is an elixir for both body and soul that acts as a perfect counterweight to the solitary and silent practice of meditation.</p>
<p>So, if you ever find that your enthusiasm for meditation is beginning to wane, try to discover a kirtan that moves you and chant it with all your heart. Chanting is a sure way to rejuvenate a meditation practice that has lost its momentum, and we don’t even have to chant every day.</p>
<p>I used to chant once a week for about an hour and it kept my heart overflowing with love and devotion. Even now, after more than 20 years of practice, I still love to chant to the sublime recordings that Gurumayi made. A tender heart is the surest way into the divine stillness of your own radiant consciousness and nothing softens the heart as the glory of chanting the Lord’s name.</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-1"><em><a href="https://www.elephantjournal.com/2017/03/a-beautiful-heart-warming-way-to-get-out-of-a-meditation-slump/" target="_blank">https://www.elephantjournal.com/2017/03/a-beautiful-heart-warming-way-to-get-out-of-a-meditation-slump/</a><br/></em></span></p>
A before bed meditation for everyday awareness
tag:templeilluminatus.ning.com,2015-11-13:6363372:Topic:3058904
2015-11-13T13:31:43.157Z
It Doesn't Matter
https://templeilluminatus.ning.com/profile/DarthIllumignosis
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<div class="mbm _5k3v _5k3y"><div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_5645e5cb4410a4a76955107">At night as I'm lying down to sleep i lay flat on my back closing my eyes just enough to where I can see the tip of my nose. I put the tip of my tongue against my pallet and begin to breath mindfully, aware of my breathing I take in my surroundings and I am mindful that I'm still awake. I am mindful of my entire body. So what makes this meditation so important for…</div>
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<div class="_4_j7"></div>
<div class="mbm _5k3v _5k3y"><div id="id_5645e5cb4410a4a76955107" class="text_exposed_root text_exposed">At night as I'm lying down to sleep i lay flat on my back closing my eyes just enough to where I can see the tip of my nose. I put the tip of my tongue against my pallet and begin to breath mindfully, aware of my breathing I take in my surroundings and I am mindful that I'm still awake. I am mindful of my entire body. So what makes this meditation so important for me is that I begin to replay the day backwards in my mind. This helps me to realize the times that I was consciously aware and the times I was consciously asleep as I can find the times I don't remember part of my day. I play the day backwards from the time I'm lying down to the time I woke up that morning and in doing so I become aware of more of my day with each practice. This technique helps me to focus throughout my day and become my attuned to what is happening around me. I feel that this is a very important technique of meditation and I just feel the need to share it with anyone who is serious about practicing meditation.</div>
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Spiritual Reality Guided Meditation.
tag:templeilluminatus.ning.com,2015-11-13:6363372:Topic:3058901
2015-11-13T13:27:07.136Z
It Doesn't Matter
https://templeilluminatus.ning.com/profile/DarthIllumignosis
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Minutes after Meditating Your Genetic Profile Improves
tag:templeilluminatus.ning.com,2013-05-14:6363372:Topic:2177228
2013-05-14T09:15:13.450Z
1yrns4vean19o
https://templeilluminatus.ning.com/xn/detail/u_1yrns4vean19o
<h1>Minutes After Meditating, Your Genetic Profile Improves</h1>
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<div class="meta"><div class="author">by <a href="http://bigthink.com/users/orionjones" rel="nofollow">ORION JONES</a></div>
<div class="created_at">MAY 4, 2013, 12:15 PM</div>
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<div class="created_at"><p><strong>What's the Latest Development?</strong></p>
<p>Just minutes after meditating, participants in a recent experiment showed beneficial changes to their genetic profile with…</p>
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<h1>Minutes After Meditating, Your Genetic Profile Improves</h1>
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<div class="meta"><div class="author">by <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bigthink.com/users/orionjones">ORION JONES</a></div>
<div class="created_at">MAY 4, 2013, 12:15 PM</div>
<div class="created_at"></div>
<div class="created_at"><p><strong>What's the Latest Development?</strong></p>
<p>Just minutes after meditating, participants in a recent experiment showed beneficial changes to their genetic profile with helpful genes becoming more active and harmful ones becoming less so. "The boosted genes had three main beneficial effects: improving the efficiency of mitochondria, the powerhouse of cells; boosting insulin production, which improves control of blood sugar; and preventing the depletion of telomeres, caps on chromosomes that help to keep DNA stable and so prevent cells wearing out and ageing." In the study, 26 volunteers were taught a relaxation technique lasting 10 to 20 minutes. They then performed the technique for daily for eight weeks.</p>
<p><strong>What's the Big Idea?</strong></p>
<p>For comparison, researchers also drew blood from 26 volunteers who had practiced relaxation techniques for three years or more. These individuals had beneficial genetic profiles before beginning the laboratory experiment, suggesting the routine had already made a difference. "'It seems fitting that you should see these responses after just 15 to 20 minutes just as, conversely, short periods of stress elevate stress hormones and other physiological effects that are harmful in the long term,' says Julie Brefczynski-Lewis of West Virginia University in Morgantown, who studies the physiological effects of meditation techniques."</p>
<p><em>Photo credit: Shutterstock.com</em></p>
<p>Read it at New Scientist</p>
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