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Thread: RECOMMENDED DAILY Nurturing Seeds PRACTICE

  1. #1

    RECOMMENDED DAILY Nurturing Seeds PRACTICE

    Hi,

    Sometimes the simplest of practices can be most effective.

    The following is based on teachings by Thich Nhat Hahn as well as many others. It's roots stretch back to the very origins of Buddhism. It is a simple and common sense approach to changing how we think and feel ... realizing that our experience of life is always shaped through the various thoughts and emotions that we impose upon life within our little heads, like a bit of mental theatre the script for which we are constantly writing for ourselves. This technique is an instantaneous means to replace harmful, negative, destructive thoughts and emotions with constructive, positive, wholesome thoughts and emotions.

    Of course, this practice is not meant as a substitute for "Zazen", our core activity. Far from it! All is hand-in-hand. Yet, just as with our other "Recommended Daily Practice", the recitation of Metta (Loving Kindness) ...

    http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showt...Metta-PRACTICE

    ... this "Nurturing Seeds" practice should be undertaken daily and, in fact, in any situation in which harmful or negative thoughts and emotions begin to take control.

    Here is how it works ... very simple ...

    Traditional Buddhist psychology describes our thoughts, emotions and actions as arising from a kind of "Seed Consciousness" within us, which is said to hold the "seeds" of all our emotional and thought reactions to experiences (and our actions that arise from those) ... love, hate, peace, violence, calm, irritability, confidence, fear, you name it. Whether we take these "seeds" as literally existing, or (just as fine) merely as symbolic descriptions for the workings of the mind, each serves as a surprisingly elegant image for how thoughts and emotions arise within us. For example, when we are feeling anger in a particular situation or in reaction to some person, an "angry seed" might be said to be sprouting within us. If we water that seed, and allow it to take root and bloom, anger thus blooms. Further anger seeds may be planted within us for the future too. However, if we can instead replace that "angry seed" with, for example, a "loving kindness seed" and a "tolerance seed" ... watering those inner seeds instead, actually summoning such emotions within ourself ... then we may react to the very same situation and person with compassion and patience instead of anger.

    Simple as that.

    Thich Nhat Hahn has written the following ...

    In Buddhist texts, consciousness is said to be a field, a plot of land in which every kind of seed is planted--seeds of suffering, happiness, joy, sorrow, fear, anger, and hope. The quality of our life depends on which of these seeds we water. The practice of mindfulness is to recognize each seed as it sprouts and to water the most wholesome seeds whenever possible.

    ...

    In Buddhist psychology, we speak of consciousness in terms of seeds. We have a seed of anger in us [for example]. We have a seed of compassion in us. The practice is to help the seed of compassion to grow and the seed of anger to shrink. When you express your anger you think that you are getting anger out of your system, but that's not true. When you express your anger, either verbally or with physical violence, you are feeding the seed of anger, and it becomes stronger in you. It's a dangerous practice.

    That's why recognizing the seed of anger and trying to neutralize it with understanding and compassion is the only way to reduce the anger in us. If you don't understand the cause of your anger, you can never transform it.

    ...

    What is important is that you continue to plant new seeds, the kind of seeds that are both refreshing and healing.


    ---------------

    Here is how the recommended practice works
    :

    Step 1 - Become sensitive and mindful to the arising of harmful, negative seeds within you. For example, when feeling angry or resentful, do not simply fall into those emotions. Instead, learn to say to yourself, "Oh, now I see anger in me ... a seed of anger and a seed of resentment are welling up within me, so I am --temporarily-- feeling anger and resentment in this situation. It need not be so."

    Become good at spotting the emotions as they begin to arise within you, especially the harmful ones, before they really catch you and wrap you up. Before the emotion really gets hold of you (or even after, although it is harder), choose to go another way,

    Step 2 - Identify what would be the positive or wholesome seed which would be the opposite or counter-balance to the harmful, negative seed. For example, following is a list of common negative thoughts and emotions in Buddhist psychology, as well as several opposites and counter-balances (this list, by the way, is tentative and open to suggestions as we develop this daily practice) ... Maybe print the following on a little card and carry it in your wallet for easy reference! ...

    Greed - Contentment, Generosity
    Anger - Tolerance, Contentment, Loving Kindness
    Fear - Courage, Equanimity
    Discontent - Serenity, Contentment
    Sloth - Energy, Joyful Effort
    Jealousy - Respect
    Sadness - Joy, Acceptance
    Egotism - Modesty, Humility
    Frustration - Acceptance, Contentment


    Step 3 - Make the conscious choice not to "water" the harmful seed as you feel it begin to sprout within you, and instead to nourish and water the wholesome seed that can take its place. Actually feel that the harmful seed has been physically removed from its ground within you, and replaced by a wholesome seed. Actually try to feel within the emotion which the wholesome seed represents (for example, if feeling "greed" ... actually try to summon and hold feelings of contentment and generosity instead). Focus on the breath, and feel the sensation of the positive, wholesome emotion arise within you with each exhalation. Feel the positive, wholesome seed coming to flower.

    And that's it!

    At first, commit yourself to try your best to "replace a seed" 4 or 5 times a day. For example, if you start to sense a bit of anger, worry, discouragement or sadness wallowing up in you sometime during a normal day ... take that as an opportunity to do a bit of inner gardening! Try to replace that seed, visualizing and actually feeling the old seed being removed from you and the new sensations coming to flower. You may be surprised at the results! (It may not turn every weed in your garden into a rose, but it may more often than you think).

    Please keep us posted on this forum on how this practice goes for you.

    Gassho, Jundo

    SatTodayLAH
    Last edited by Jundo; 06-11-2018 at 03:25 AM.

  2. #2
    Thank you for this. For a long time I carried a little card in my wallet with this printed on it:
    Greed - Contentment, Generosity
    Anger - Tolerance, Contentment, Loving Kindness
    Fear - Courage, Equanimity
    Discontent - Serenity, Contentment
    Sloth - Energy, Joyful Effort
    Jealousy - Respect
    Sadness - Joy, Acceptance
    Egotism - Modesty, Humility
    Frustration - Acceptance, Contentment

    It was a helpful reminder and I think I'll start doing that again.

  3. #3
    Treeleaf Engineer Seimyo's Avatar
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    Yuba City, California, USA
    That's very helpful Chuck. I should almost get it tattooed to my wrist.

    G.
    Seimyo

    明 Seimyō (Christhatischris)

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Seimyo View Post
    That's very helpful Chuck. I should almost get it tattooed to my wrist.

    G.
    Seimyo
    That is very helpful Chuck. Excellent suggestion.

    Chris, perhaps best to tattoo it right here, where the arrow points ...





    Gassho, J
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  5. #5
    Thank you for sharing this practice. I have printed the card and look forward to incorporating this into my daily life. Deep bows, Matt J

  6. #6
    I have practiced this in my own way for awhile. But a different version. I was in a way condemning myself for the negative feelings ( "I shouldn't be so irritable" blah blah) while trying to uproot the other. I think the way this is worded is more acceptance and saying it is normal and okay , but we are making a conscious decision to let it go and become something more positive. It's more being patient with one's self than how I was doing it. Was good to read it the way it's presented here. Sheds a new light on it. A slight mental change in attitude. I'll remind myself to be patient with "me" and see how it goes.

    _/\_ Dave

  7. #7
    Member bayamo's Avatar
    Join Date
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    Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
    It always gets me when I read things like this & I find myself saying 'why didn't I ever think of this before?!?!' thanks!

    Sent from my ST25a using Tapatalk 2
    Oh, yeah. If I didn't have inner peace, I'd go completely psycho on all you guys all the time.
    Carl Carlson

  8. #8
    I'm grateful I read this
    I'm grateful you wrote it

    I'll start my practice.

    Gassho
    Chris

  9. #9
    Jundo,
    Thank you for this excellent practice to turn around our negative thoughts. I needed this.

    Gassho
    Theophan
    Sat Today

  10. #10
    This was exactly what I needed to hear. I was thinking I could physically practice this when weeding my garden - naming the weeds then with love and tenderness towards them, pull them up. Once I have tossed the "weed" in the weed pile I could then consider that harmful thought weeded...in its place I can plant a sunflower seed....possibly, depending on daily situations, I could end up with a beautiful garden of sunflowers deep bows for all the above postings and in a few months I'll post some pics of my sunflower "field" gassho, sattoday/ nandi

  11. #11
    Once upon a time I found this flower in a field. It is considered to be a wild flower; yet, it does have a name. It is called a yellow goat's beard.
    20130615_100650_1_resized_1.jpg
    Then some flowers grow in our garden that have names as well but they are not 'wild'
    合掌,生開
    gassho, Shokai

    仁道 生開 / Jindo Shokai

    "Open to life in a benevolent way"

    https://sarushinzendo.wordpress.com/

  12. #12
    Yet, the bee doesn't appear to mind
    20130827_114847_resized.jpg
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Shokai; 02-13-2015 at 03:16 AM.
    合掌,生開
    gassho, Shokai

    仁道 生開 / Jindo Shokai

    "Open to life in a benevolent way"

    https://sarushinzendo.wordpress.com/

  13. #13
    Mp
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Shokai View Post
    Yet, the bee doesn't appear to mind
    20130827_114847_resized.jpg
    Wonderful Shokai! No division, just acceptance. =)

    Gassho
    Shingen

    Sattoday

  14. #14
    That's great Elgwyn. All these good things you are doing will help you be completely with this moment in joy and ease.


    Sat today
    _/_
    Rich
    MUHYO
    無 (MU, Emptiness) and 氷 (HYO, Ice) ... Emptiness Ice ...

    https://instagram.com/notmovingmind

  15. #15


    Gassho,

    Risho
    -sattoday

  16. #16
    Jundo
    Thank You. I will add this to my practice.
    Gassho
    Theophan
    Sat Today

  17. #17
    I just wanted to say that what was said in this post got me over a rough couple of weeks. I found myself in a financial bind due to bills and car issues. Instead of freaking out ,and having another panic attack, I remembered this thread and replaced the "anxiety" seeds with "calm" seeds. Don't get me wrong, I'm still on my anxiety medication, but this helped a lot.

    Gassho,

    josh

    sattoday

  18. #18
    Glad to hear that Josh. It is called "Practice", so keep with it and it does begin to sink in.

    Gassho, J
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  19. #19
    Is there an opposing seed for the seed of Despair?

    Thank you.

    L. _/\_

    sat2day

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Luciana View Post
    Is there an opposing seed for the seed of Despair?

    Thank you.

    L. _/\_

    sat2day
    Joy

    Gassho, J

    SatToday
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  21. #21
    Opera!

    L. _/\_

  22. #22
    Greed - Contentment, Generosity
    Anger - Tolerance, Contentment, Loving Kindness
    Fear - Courage, Equanimity
    Discontent - Serenity, Contentment
    Sloth - Energy, Joyful Effort
    Jealousy - Respect
    Sadness - Joy, Acceptance
    Egotism - Modesty, Humility
    Frustration - Acceptance, Contentment

    I put this practice into action this morning, and had such a great day with my family, despite waking up in a sour mood. Any moment can be transformed. Imagine someone who embodied these characteristics all the time...they'd practically be a buddha!

    _/\_
    Matt sat today!

  23. #23
    Maybe look at Jundo's sit-a-long series on Dogen's "Instructions for the Cook." Sounds like the teachings would apply very well to wool-washing!

    Gassho,
    Sierra
    SatToday

  24. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Daijo View Post
    Thank you for this. For a long time I carried a little card in my wallet with this printed on it:
    Greed - Contentment, Generosity
    Anger - Tolerance, Contentment, Loving Kindness
    Fear - Courage, Equanimity
    Discontent - Serenity, Contentment
    Sloth - Energy, Joyful Effort
    Jealousy - Respect
    Sadness - Joy, Acceptance
    Egotism - Modesty, Humility
    Frustration - Acceptance, Contentment

    It was a helpful reminder and I think I'll start doing that again.
    I am copying this one and think I will do the same, good antidotes.

  25. #25
    Thank you for this.
    For me it is a challenge that may be applied in many fields, mostly in little things that might seem only unimportant details.

    Gassho
    Marcus

    SatToday

  26. #26
    Treeleaf Unsui Nengei's Avatar
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    Minnesota's Driftless Area
    Reading this thread--for which I am filled with appreciation and gratitude--and then the one on daily liturgy and gatha, I find myself thinking about using gatha practice as a ground for nurturing seeds practice, and wonder if others are aware of anything published about this, or perhaps a list of gatha directed toward negative-to-positive emotional responses.

    I notice the seed of anger in myself.
    Seeing anger, I choose instead to nurture the seed of compassion.
    Through compassion, I act with loving-kindness.
    With loving kindness, I heal my being.


    I feel the seed of fear sprouting.
    Instead of fear, I turn to courage-awareness.
    In courage, I find the essence of well-being.
    Joy and peace fill my heart.


    This seems like a logical, practice-based way to short-circuit the growth of negative response seeds and turn attention toward positive responses.

    Just my late-night thinking.

    Gassho,
    Joseph

    sat today - lah

  27. #27
    I'm glad that I found this post again!
    In the last few days, things have been emotionally tough at home and I have been fortunate enough to just be starting out in my noticing of negative feelings arising and being very conscious of it. I will do my best to stick to the three steps listed above.

    Gassho

    ST/Lah

  28. #28
    Old and new friends, hello! And, this corner has been a long time coming. Apparently I posted here when I was new in the Sangha, and for more than a year, I was Elgwyn in our Sangha. I have come to revere and even love the people here. Even through my conversion to Christianity, our Treeleaf Sangha has been here for me, listening, advising, and even admonishing as I nearly had to leave in personal disgrace. In my home, anger has often "got" the best of me, and this sensitive poet loses his temper. I am truly ashamed of some of my behavior toward those I love. I have recently actually begun to listen to my wife of 37+ years who I love with all my heart. In the past I often turned on her, spent money our family did not have, behaved recklessly toward my lovely wife and brilliant daughter. Last week, I took steps to correct my credit behavior, largely because my wife has made sure my credit is in order. I refinanced large debt with my own disposable money. If I can pay off this loan, without spending even $10 on credit, then I will have saved more that $2200 and salvaged many feelings in my family. I can no longer find excuse, after excuse for my behavior, for at age 67, I vow to take hold of negative seeds in my Buddhist mind, in my own personal behavior. My positive seeds are now responsibility, equanimity, understanding, and acceptance. These anger seeds can be supplanted, and ask my Sangha to help me learn to pay my bill of about $163.00 a little less each month. I know that greed and control are the opposite of generosity, and surrender. Generosity and surrender are necessary for successful family, and Buddhist behavior. These and loyalty I wish to be my seeds of Buddhist behavior. I have come to believe Buddhism is my plan of life, not some esoteric philosophy. Please Sangha members, help me be responsible, and find actual peace and love before I die, Please allow me to fulfill my vows to die a gentle and sober man. With all the gratitude I can find. Thank you
    Tai Shi
    sat
    Gassho
    Peaceful Poet, Tai Shi. Ubasoku; calm, supportive, limited to positive 優婆塞 台 婆

  29. #29
    Member Seishin's Avatar
    Join Date
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    La Croix-Avranchin, Basse Normandie, France
    Thank you for bringing this back to focus in the Genjokoan discussion. I've neglected this practice for a while now and allowed things to get on top of me, especially anger and frustration. So I have created a new list for my phone along with Nengei's gatha. I am sure I'll be using it a lot in the roll up to Brexit or whatever happens in the UK and the knock effect to UK folks living in the EU.

    Deep Bows

    Sat / lah


    Seishin

    Sei - Meticulous
    Shin - Heart

  30. #30
    Kyotai
    Guest
    I once heard a zen talk focusing on a phrase something along the lines of "you give, you get."

    Meaning, you put anxiety, negativity, pessimism and hate out into the world, that is exactly what you get back..many times over.

    However, if you put kindness, Love, compassion and Peace into the world (in your job, your relationships, your day to day life) that is exactly what you get back..10 fold.

    How true this is.

    This works hand in hand with nurturing seeds practice. No time for negativity when your focus is, how can I make someones day a little better with each interaction.

    I am someone who needs to pay close attention to my thoughts and reactions to those thoughts. I am prone to falling into the abyss and for me, sometimes zazen is not enough and we must engage with the world too.

    Gassho Kyotai
    ST

    Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

  31. #31
    This thread is very powerful for me at this moment. I will be bookmarking so that I can practice and come back to it often.
    -Sara
    ST/LAH

  32. #32
    Seishin, Hi, I am Tai Shi, and I will consider a move from the Unitarian Universalist church to Episcopalian, and remain with Treeleaf Sangha. My wife and I are apart, and much of the time I do not communicate with her. We have shared a game Pokémon go. Sometimes I try to touch her, and she moves away, and she does not understand my preoccupation with religion. She is agnostic or atheist, and she does support my membership in Treeleaf Sangha and she knows enough about Soto Zen Buddhism to know that it is atheist in some ways, and actually when I admit this to myself, this is where I stand too, and I too am atheist or agnostic, and I've been hurt enough by religion to want a big change in my life, and I maybe can truly breath better when I admit this to myself. Zen Buddhism is so very important as I have read Uchiyama's book and I can focus on my own practice. I have read How to Cook Your Life and I see the vast sea of being;"in- the moment," and of the first three chapters of GenjoKoan, I understand and float into the vast ocean of life. I understand that Let there be Songs to fill the air, ripple in still waters. may your cup be filled-- no simple highway, my path for my steps alone So I see and feel it is not me but my attention to concepts as God which may not exist. Now for me the morning feels right. It is 4:38 a.m. and I have spent the night thinking this through, and Maybe it's not me but churches that are wrong. And, it's not a matter of my wife. All I know is a bird sings a while then flies off. I know why a tune is sweet, and why I need not cry anymore. A bird sings then flies off. I know snow and rain, and there is freedom in yes, freedom in morning depth and light. My knees are gone I am old. I don't care. My body is all I have. Sometimes when the moon is high a full moon, my neck bones are old and cannot look up, and from moon beams I know the moon is there. The sun shines, and clouds come. Water flows and fish swim. The song plays, this tune is mine, and I have nothing. I am nothing, am body and form, no matter I am sea foam I am sky and there is no why, there is no if. There is sky, there is earth, there is what Suzuki would say just sit, no more just sit.

    Tai Shi
    just sit
    Gassho
    Peaceful Poet, Tai Shi. Ubasoku; calm, supportive, limited to positive 優婆塞 台 婆

  33. #33
    And now I am UU and an agnostic because after reasoned and calm discussion with my wife, on good Zen teacher she says that “What are you but an agnostic?” Yes I do not know for sure, and perhaps, I don’t know anything for sure. I know two things that I have undertaken the precepts of my And our Sangha, which follows the ideas of the Buddha, these are reasonable for the second thing I know today, just for today, I am sober.
    Tai Shi
    ssat/ lah
    Gassho


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Peaceful Poet, Tai Shi. Ubasoku; calm, supportive, limited to positive 優婆塞 台 婆

  34. #34
    Member Onka's Avatar
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    Gassho Onka
    sat today
    穏 On (Calm)
    火 Ka (Fires)
    They/She.

  35. #35
    A very beautiful and powerful practice. Often difficult to put into practice, but that is the way.
    Gassho, Gokai
    Sat today

  36. #36
    This is something I would like to put into practice during this Ango season. Does anyone have advice on how to consistently remember/build the habit of practicing it?

    Gassho,
    SatLah
    Kelly

  37. #37
    Treeleaf Unsui Onki's Avatar
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    Location
    London Ontario Canada
    Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful practice.
    I will begin to try it out!

    Gassho,

    Finn

    Sat today

  38. #38
    Quote Originally Posted by KellyLM View Post
    This is something I would like to put into practice during this Ango season. Does anyone have advice on how to consistently remember/build the habit of practicing it?

    Gassho,
    SatLah
    Kelly
    Takes practice, for sure. The trick is noticing when an unpleasant emotion is arising and trying to nurture an appropriate response-- not to repress it, but to see how it can be transformed into something more skillful. It takes time. I have a little nurturing seeds card in my wallet that will remind me of them when I see it.

    Gassho
    Sat, lah
    求道芸化 Kyūdō Geika
    I am just a priest-in-training, please do not take anything I say as a teaching.

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