RiverSeed
Plodding Along
In soto zazen, posture is somewhat important. I sit on the floor, with no zafu(a cushion), but you may place a zafu under your spine, if you wish. If you are inflexible at first, then place your legs so that your ankles line up in front of your crotch. Either left or right foot may be in front of the other. Comfort is good.
I sit in half-lotus position, with my left foot resting on my right foreleg.
mudras: Mudras are important, depending on your teacher. But I do not use one. I simply rest my hands on my knees in a relaxing position.
Keep spine straight. Head straight.
In soto zazen, you may notice your breath, or you may notice the present moment. When you have thoughts, let them go by like clouds in the sky. When you have desires, you also let them go by like clouds in the sky.
There is an important reason why I am saying all this. In buddhism, there is often a great desire on the practicioner to achieve enlightenment, or, in Soto, Satori. But it is important to know that Satori is not stressed in Soto. Practice is more important.
So, if you do zazen, you might have ambition to practice as much as you can, in order to achieve Satori. But by doing this, you are not doing zazen. Because Soto Zazen is not the posture + the ambition to gain Satori. Satori IS Zazen. And Zazen is Just the Zazen, which is just the posture and the focus on the moment, without any expectation of gain. When a person realizes this, they have satori.
Interesting though, because before they have satori, it is something special. To us, Satori is something special. But after, it is nothing. Satori is nothing. Satori is nothing. Just Zazen. And Zazen is nothing. Just Sitting. But it is special, just nothing. :candle:
*spooky budhist music* :foot: *laughs*
I sit in half-lotus position, with my left foot resting on my right foreleg.
mudras: Mudras are important, depending on your teacher. But I do not use one. I simply rest my hands on my knees in a relaxing position.
Keep spine straight. Head straight.
In soto zazen, you may notice your breath, or you may notice the present moment. When you have thoughts, let them go by like clouds in the sky. When you have desires, you also let them go by like clouds in the sky.
There is an important reason why I am saying all this. In buddhism, there is often a great desire on the practicioner to achieve enlightenment, or, in Soto, Satori. But it is important to know that Satori is not stressed in Soto. Practice is more important.
So, if you do zazen, you might have ambition to practice as much as you can, in order to achieve Satori. But by doing this, you are not doing zazen. Because Soto Zazen is not the posture + the ambition to gain Satori. Satori IS Zazen. And Zazen is Just the Zazen, which is just the posture and the focus on the moment, without any expectation of gain. When a person realizes this, they have satori.
Interesting though, because before they have satori, it is something special. To us, Satori is something special. But after, it is nothing. Satori is nothing. Satori is nothing. Just Zazen. And Zazen is nothing. Just Sitting. But it is special, just nothing. :candle:
*spooky budhist music* :foot: *laughs*