Devotion

Hi All,
I came across this link on buddhistlinks.org yesterday and I'm wondering what others may think of this short essay on devotion to zazen. What is your interpretation of devotion to our practice?

http://www.flintsparks.com/docs/Devotio ... actice.pdf

Take care,
Eric

Thank you for posting the article.
I think it is OK, but that is the extent of my opinion.

Gassho,
Jordan

I enjoyed this article. One item at the end hit home for me in a big way:

"The forms of Soto Zen training ask me to attend to everything with an even mind, to bring mindfulness to bear on each moment without picking and choosing, and to devote myself to the forms and ceremonies as a way of celebrating the Way as shown by Buddha."

I find myself *constantly* picking and choosing, and so unlearning this (or learning how to turn it off) is one of the biggest benefits to this 'training' for me. As to devotion to forms and ceremonies, I think of it in a simple way. Most people, for whatever reason (the way the brain is wired or something) do most things from habit, and need structure to accomplish anything. Well, this 'non-ceremony' of zazen, that is the form of doing nothing, becomes a structure within which to dissolve most of the mental knots that mindless habit over the years have tied. This structure gives us the means with which to deconstruct our 'self'.

Gassho, Ann

Thank you, Eric, for a wonderfully "useless" and "pointless" article ... as useless and pointless as Zazen.

Gassho, J