> >i have simply been studying the > >act of sitting in zazen,sitting while attempting to be in > >attention. > >ive practiced placing breath and thought into the same path so > >both don't exist without the other. > >as if both were following each other on a pairalel line. > >ive practiced following breath,like moving deeper ito a cave,or > >using breath to keep a leaf afloat on a breeze. > >and ive practiced the act of neither, a gradual progression to sitting > >without focus on breath,or focus on thought. > >in the last act,i can sit for a time but my mind will realise that im sitting without either and will flash into either focus on breath but most likely flashes into the focus of mind. in this state i get a sense of "being in my head",or "sitting still and watching from afar,and yet participating within". so far this is all ive studied in zen. > What you describe above is central to zen and is really all you have to do > to effectively practice zen. > > At the point you describe as 'the last act', you might try asking yourself > 'What is it that is realizing, or what is this that is watching?'. > > Gassho...Bill! >
Thanks very much,its nice to know that ive been moving in the right direction in my practices,its rather hard figuring out how to go about this when your practicing on your own. (in the last act,i can sit for a time but my mind will realise that im sitting without either and will flash into either focus on breath but most likely flashes into the focus of mind. in this state i get a sense of "being in my head",or "sitting still and watching from afar,and yet participating within". so far this is all ive studied in zen). i would assume that it will be the repeated act of sitting and reaching this state,that will intensify it to the point of moving beyound it. my problem is that while sitting in a private room,this state isn't so hard to reach. but what is the line inbetween sitting in this state alone and retaining it,and going outside and keeping this state while interacting in the world with others? Also i will have the whole day off from work today,so i will use it for practice and will contemplate the statment 'What is it that is realizing". when i find myself in that situation. salutations ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Protect your PC from spy ware with award winning anti spy technology. It's free. http://us.click.yahoo.com/97bhrC/LGxNAA/yQLSAA/S27xlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today! Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
