No! No! No! That's not okay! If you don't stop trying to practice alone RIGHT NOW, you can't be in the group anymore and you can't share anything with us.
Please reconsider! ...Bill! --- In [email protected], daniel sherwood <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I'm going to try it alone for right now, But I'll share my expreiences with the group. Would that be Ok? > > > > > ----- Original Message ---- > From: Bill Smart <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 4:51:26 AM > Subject: [Zen] Re: beginning again > > I practice by myself also, but that is by circumstance and certainly > not by choice. > > PRACTICING alone is fraught with snares and pitfalls, most of which > are virtually undetectable without guidance, or at least group > interaction. > > TRYING TO PRACTICE alone is, in my not-so-humble opinion, practically > impossible. > > Unless you have had a good begining and some solid experience with > zazen, I would discourage you from TRYING to practice alone. The > best thing would be to find a sangha or sitting group in your area > that has a qualified teacher. If there are none in your area I'd > encourage you to plan a trip to somewhere that does, and spend a week > or so with a good teacher to get you started. After that you should > keep in close contact with the teacher to help you work through any > difficulties or distractions you encounter. > > I don't know how good an e-sangha would be for a beginner. It might > be okay. I have never participated in one so I just don't know. I > did check out the website of the Lotus Meditation Center in Seward, > NB, and in spite of my predispostion to skepticism based on their > previous postings, was very pleased at the content. I hope your > e-experience there will be beneficial to you; but do consider finding > a local sangha, or even going to Seward, to get a good start to your > journey. A good start is very important because you're going to be > traveling for a > long, long time - forever, in fact. > > Bon voyage...Bill! > > --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED] ps.com, daniel sherwood <desherwood7@ ...> > wrote: > > > > Thanks for the advice. I'm trying to practice Zen myself. > > > > > > ----- Original Message ---- > > From: Bill Smart <BillSmart@ ..> > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ps.com > > Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 5:06:17 AM > > Subject: [Zen] Re: beginning again > > > > --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED] ps.com, "cid830" <summitjags@ ...> wrote: > > > > > > what are the precepts? > > > > > cid830, > > > > Knowledge of Buddhist Precepts, Refuges, etc..., are not a pre- > requiste > > for practicing zen. In fact in most cases they are, as is all > > knowledge, a hindrance. > > > > The only thing necessary to practice zen, if that is your interest, > is > > to sit - meaning do zazen. Pacticing zazen clears your mind of all > > intellectual and emotional clutter, including concepts such as > > precepts, refuges, right:wrong, I:you, beginner:sensei, etc... > > > > Forget about all the other things you have read or been taught. > Just > > sit. That's enough. Anything else is too much...Bill! > > > > > > > > > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __ > > Do You Yahoo!? > > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > > http://mail. yahoo.com > > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ ______________ > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. > http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs > 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/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> 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/
