SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO — Home for the Holidays!

http://www.musical.org/images/Logos_...meHolidays.pngHeading home to see family and friends always presents a few special "opportunities for Practice" at this time of year ...

Meeting family and old friends ... how do you explain to them about "being a Buddhist"?

You may even start to feel a little guilty for not being part of the religion you were raised in.

How should we celebrate the holidays with friends and family?

My answer: Celebrate Peace & Joy!

Today’s Sit-A-Long video follows at this link. Remember: recording ends soon after the beginning bells; a sitting time of 20 to 35 minutes is recommended.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf91um5U1cU[/video]]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf91um5U1cU

Exactly! :D
all of it and especially 1:50 - 2:25, I am grateful enough to have people to let me know they noticed those changes besides the hair cut*, the bib and everything else.

Gassho
Shohei

*which really I have had for 10 years plus... just cropped a bit closer

I love this sit-a-long! This has been a sensitive topic for me (exposing those who I love to my practice without creating a separation; like I'm all of a sudden someone different). It has been my main barrier to entry so to speak.

For instance, last year when we visited my parents, we stayed with them. This was the first month or so of my practice, and I didn't even have a zafu/zabuton yet. I was sitting in a chair.

In any case, I'd mention that I have to meditate, and they would comment "ok" (kind of in an odd way). I love my parents, and they are very supportive with me. I know they didn't get it; hell I didn't get it, I just knew I needed to do it oddly.

Even with my wife, early practice was weird. I remember her asking me if everything was alright. Her conception was that meditation was done for relaxation. It frustrated the hell out of her when I would answer I don't know why I do it. There is no purpose! lol

Those were the good old days when I was still counting breaths.

Fast forward to October, and my wife gives me a statue of Kuan-Yin for my birthday! And now she really appreciates my rakusu sewing, and my sister in law is even coming to Jukai :)

In any case, like I said integrating Buddhism into my life has been very stressful at times. It's been a barrier but a good barrier. What I mean is that sometimes when I adopt something, I go into it overboard, burn myself out and then quit. But with Buddhism, I constantly evaluated my practice, especially if it was too much, getting cultish and so forth. It also showed me how to practice when I was there by myself in the unknown so to speak.

I wanted it to be integrated into my life, a support for my life, to never get between me and my life and, especially, never to get between my wife and me. That was a huge concern of mine early on. Her perception of me doing this was a little odd, and I can't blame her because as I told her time and time again this is a strange practice. In the world, we typically use each other. This turns things around.

In any case, little by little, with consistent practice (not over-zealousness) and explaining things to my wife about how I practice, and what I'm doing and so forth, it's really become enriching.

Ok, I'm done :P

Thanks for this Jundo!

Gassho,

Cyril

Thanks Jundo,
In a way this reminds me of how lucky I was with my family, I discovered I was Buddhist when I was still at school (catholic school - did'nt boast about this to teachers or nuns). My family just accepted it, my father even woke me up late at night when I was still at school because the Dalai Lama was on tv. Uncles and aunts would just shake thier heads and smile - ah, the joys of being from a family of excentrics. In a way I miss the thrill of the chase of arguing the point with disapproving relatives, now I just miss the relatives

Happy crimbo

Joe