Sit-a-Long with Jundo: Zazen for Beginners (Part XIII)

[Jundo]

More in our series on “How To” Zazen …

In “Just Sitting” Zazen Practice, we learn to take life like the weather … Whatever comes, comes.

Thus, we practice sitting on the cushion with energy, dedication and effort … all while dropping all goals, dropping all need to attain, dropping all judgments, dropping all resistance. Each moment on the cushion is complete, sacred, a perfect act, with not one thing to add, not one thing to take away. What is attained thereby is attaining non-attaining.

And in this way, we encounter a way to live with energy, dedication, striving, moving forward in life … all without need to attain, taking all as it comes. Action and stillness, all at once. No separation from life, just as it is. Each moment of life is complete, sacred, with not one thing to add, not one thing to take away … even when not as we think it “should be“, even as we work to make better what needs to be made better.

There is no bad Zazen, not even the “bad” Zazen, when the mind is filled with storming clouds of thoughts and emotions. There is no Zazen that is incomplete, even though we turn again and again to letting the thoughts and emotions drift from mind.

There is no bad weather, even the “bad” weather. The rain is just the rain … the sunshine, just the sunshine … even though we might desire one more than the other. We can put on our boots, seek shelter, even while letting the rain just pour down, sometimes soaking us to the bone. Acceptance, and running for cover, at once!

Likewise, there is no aspect of life that is incomplete, although there are many things about it we may wish to to change, wish were otherwise, must work to repair. Acceptance, and wish for change/working for change, at once!

This is the taste of life … complete even when not as we desire … that we can learn to taste in Shikantaza Zazen.

CLICK HERE for today’s Sit-A-Long video.

[youtube] [/youtube]

Remember: recording ends soon after the beginning bells; a sitting time of 15 to 35 minutes is recommended.

[Ray]

Thanks jundo,

I really do enjoy going back to these talks to ground me in the practice. This particular talk makes me realise that letting a situation, feeling, etc just to be is the thing I find hardest and yet I realise that this is the main part of the practice. When sitting I do feel that ahhhhhh releif when I drop the "I" when even for just a moment. My goal of this goaless practice is to become more aware when the"I" is getting involved in trying to make things different to what is and just to let things be.

Gassho

Ray

[kalesi]

Thanks for the clear instructions and the constant reminders concerning basic practice. I've been trying to take the teachings off of the cushion and apply them to daily life, but it's not always easy to do. When I'm aware of my judging mind, it is constantly seeing things or situations as good or bad, right or wrong. Hopefully, these judgments will drop away in time, but in the meantime I try not to criticize or berate myself for thinking dualistically.

[Jundo]

... When I'm aware of my judging mind, it is constantly seeing things or situations as good or bad, right or wrong. Hopefully, these judgments will drop away in time, but in the meantime I try not to criticize or berate myself for thinking dualistically.

Hi Kalesi,

Yes, they may not fully drop away (although sometimes they will, through and through, and sometimes fully "you" with 'em) ... but with Practice (that's why we call it "Practice" ) you will come to see through all the mind's weather more and more as if translucent, less entrapping. That was the subject on another thread today ...


viewtopic.php?p=77254#p77254

Gassho, J

[kalesi]

Thanks for the comment!