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Thread: A very important article

  1. #1

    A very important article

    Please take the time to chew these wise words of Isso Fujita sensei in Zazen is not Shuzen:

    http://www.milwaukeezencenter.org/pd...-11.pdf#page=3

    They are written in the true spirit of Alexander Technique and provide a splendid introduction to the true spirit of practice.

    Gassho

    Taigu
    Last edited by Jundo; 05-15-2014 at 02:06 AM.

  2. #2

  3. #3
    Thank you for sharing
    Gassho
    C

  4. #4

  5. #5
    Mp
    Guest
    Thank you Taigu. =)

    Gassho
    Shingen

  6. #6

    A very important article

    Taigu,
    This is excellent teaching. Subtle and true. We need to be constantly reminded of this.
    Gassho and thanks.
    Myozan
    Last edited by Myozan Kodo; 05-15-2014 at 09:38 AM.

  7. #7
    Thank you, Taigu!

    Gassho,

    Daitetsu
    no thing needs to be added

  8. #8
    Treeleaf Unsui Shugen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Redding California USA
    Gassho


    Shugen
    Meido Shugen
    明道 修眼

  9. #9
    Thank you, Taigu.

    Gassho,
    Juki
    "First you have to give up." Tyler Durden

  10. #10
    Thank you.


    Gassho,
    Myosha
    "Recognize suffering, remove suffering." - Shakyamuni Buddha when asked, "Uhm . . .what?"

  11. #11
    Thank you

  12. #12
    Thanks Taigu. I don't know what the true spirit of the Alexander Technique is, but these short articles are right on. Thank you.

    Gassho
    Shōmon

  13. #13
    Thank you Taigu for sharing this teaching.

    Gassho
    Heishu


    “Blessed are the flexible, for they never get bent out of shape." Author Unknown

  14. #14
    Thank you Taigu,
    this stood out for me

    "He learned how to be with the body and mind, without doing anything artificial or intentionally. He gave up and surrendered, and thats the origin of our zazen."

    Remarkable. Something I can chew on for quite a while.
    Gassho
    Myoku

  15. #15
    Thank you Taigu.

    Gassho,

    Risho

  16. #16
    Gassho!

    -Shujin

  17. #17
    Than you for this share, a very inspirating teaching.

    Gasshô

    Anshu
    Le secret consiste donc seulement à dire "OUI" et à se jeter dans le vide. Dès lors, il n'y a plus de problème. Il s'agit d'être soi-même dans l'instant présent, toujours soi-même, sans s'accrocher à son vieux moi.
    Shunryu Suzuki Roshi

  18. #18
    Joyo
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Myoku View Post
    Thank you Taigu,
    this stood out for me

    "He learned how to be with the body and mind, without doing anything artificial or intentionally. He gave up and surrendered, and thats the origin of our zazen."

    Remarkable. Something I can chew on for quite a while.
    Gassho
    Myoku
    This quote got my attention as well. I need to chew on this as well. I've been practicing for a year now, but I think it's been more shuzen than zazen. Thank you for the article and the good reminder, Taigu.

    Gassho,
    Joyo

  19. #19
    Thank you Taigu
    If I'm already enlightened why the hell is this so hard?

  20. #20
    Excellent teaching, thank you Taigu.
    Gassho, Jakudo

    Sent from my GT-N8010 using Tapatalk
    Gassho, Shawn Jakudo Hinton
    It all begins when we say, “I”. Everything that follows is illusion.
    "Even to speak the word Buddha is dragging in the mud soaking wet; Even to say the word Zen is a total embarrassment."
    寂道

  21. #21
    This is what can be sometimes understood in the bones and marrow. Alexander Technique lessons have opened that door closed when I was a toddler. It is hard to do it by yourself as the extent of false sensory appreciation rules over perception. Zazen is not some form of eastern strange sadhana that one is doing, it is the natural response to gravity and true undoing.

    Gassho

    Taigu

  22. #22
    Yes teacher..I finally found a TA teacher, will meet her in the next days.

    Thank you so much.

    Gassho

    Sent from Tapatalk 2
    Thank you for your practice

  23. #23
    Nice article. Thank you Taigu! I also enjoyed the above mentioned sentence ("He learned how to be with the body and mind, without doing anything artificial or intentionally. He gave up and surrendered, and thats the origin of our zazen.") and also found some some inspiration in the following sentence "There's a big difference between what he did before and what he did under the bodhi tree." I couldn't stop thinking that in both cases he did something. Not much of a difference between doing or not doing if I think about it logically. I guess that all activities are truly spontaneous when we are neither trying nor not trying to do it....just like breathing.

    A.

  24. #24

  25. #25
    Thank you Taigu, for sharing this wonderful, essential teaching. I realize I have been doing a lot of shuzen!


    I notice that you often refer to The Alexander Technique. I am intrigued and went looking for information... There are websites, podcasts, books and videos and all seem to agree that the technique must be taught in person. Is there any resource you can recommend for someone who wants to learn more about AT but cannot get to a teacher yet?


    From the article: “The shape of the back should be a result, not a cause.” Wow wow wow.


    (I did watch your video series (How to Sit, 1-7) and found it to be a revelation, revolutionary.)

    Gassho
    Lisa

  26. #26
    Yes, Lisa, this book exists. It is guided lessons for students of Alexander Technique from Nancy Dawley...
    The very best.
    We are now a few priests in America, Europe and even Japan to think that you don't sit , you allow zazen to sit you.
    so the whole secret is to get out of the way and this can take a second up to thousand years...

    A teacher would be great. Because she/he will point at your doings.
    These are so subtle, you often cannot even start to notice.

    Anyway, it saved my sitting and life.
    And through AT I could start to hear Dogen's voice so clearly.

    Gassho


    Taigu

  27. #27
    Hi Taigu,

    May I ask you what you thought of this fellow's book, which I still recommend to folks from time to time. I know we have discussed it in the past, and his recommendations on a "fluid" non-rigid approach to sitting always seem to resonate with what you say and AT. I just want to ask again, as it has been awhile and I just recommended to book to someone yesterday ...

    "THE POSTURE OF MEDITATION" by Will Johnson

    http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showt...-OF-MEDITATION

    Gassho, J
    Last edited by Jundo; 06-09-2014 at 04:31 AM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  28. #28
    yes, great book Bro.

    I would have another one...

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Guided-Lesso...nder+technique

    it is cheap, hands on, right to the point and gives an amazing and very clear introduction to the basic directions of AT. you will all be amazed how the sitting with propper directions looks like a great sitting posture...because it is. In my clouded eyes, Alexander rediscovered how to sit like Buddha did a long time ago.

    gassho

    T.
    Last edited by Taigu; 06-09-2014 at 07:39 AM.

  29. #29
    lisa,

    one more quick word, I am not revolutionary , FM Alexander was for sure, so is my teacher Chodo Cross who was kind and patient enough to point the way to a big stupid head like me ( and I was not too bad handling his short temper and rages).

    please explore and never take anything for granted, be always ready to be wrong, give up your ideas about this and that and don't think that a lot of pain is OK. IT IS NOT. One can sit with limited pain even none. Zen doesn 't hve to physically kill you. Bee open and explore. This is real fun!

    gassho


    T.

  30. #30
    ...the whole secret is to get out of the way and this can take a second up to thousand years...
    Taigu, I just looked at a calendar and it appears to go forward a thousand years or even more, so this will not be a problem. Also it is quite a coincidence that you mention your big stupid head; I happen to have one here as well. I will point it in the direction you suggest and see what happens. Thank you for the excellent advice.


    Jundo, that book looks great as well, I will check them both out.

    Gassho
    Lisa

  31. #31
    Mp
    Guest
    Thank you Taigu, I have added to my book list. =)

    Gassho
    Shingen

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