Mel: There are stools of all kinds and heights. When the body suffers from a disability of any kind is important to find the appropriate chair, stool or whatever will be most suitable to one physical condition. This is a personal choice that one does in favour of good health. The way of the sitting down comes alone in time by itself sitting down. I don't know why your Teacher told you that the zazen Japanese stool are ridiculous. But I suppose that there are many kinds and different measures of them. Each of them is unique. They are crafted made with a remarkable measures accuracy that allows one to sit down with straight back and comfort. The one I have it was a good bye present by one of my sangha friends in Edinburgh who went to live to Japan. This stool wasn't made in Japan but here in Edinburgh under the instructions and supervision of a many years experienced practicioner and ex-Tibetan nun. I was extremely lucky that this stool was wrongly made for her body measure but perfect for mine. She wasn't as much tall as I am and my legs were much longer than hers. She used to complain about it as she couldn't find her way round to it. But when I tried on it looked like as the carpenter took my measures instead of her for the stool!. I suffer from a disability in my lower back with severe flares ups of mobility. Some years ago condition deteriorated and affected my right leg in a way that it wasn't possible to sit down in that stool or kneel down. So I was for several years in a row sitting down over a chair. It was just only about this past December that I started to sit back down in the zazen Japanese stool for periods of 20 minutes. I can't go farther than that as my right leg gets very swollen. With all due respect to your Teacher tell him that his saying about the zazen Japanese stool being ridiculous sucks. Tell him to look a good Japanese movie and see how traditional Japanese people sit down while having tea, eating....and then he will understand that is far of being a ridiculous stool but very practical cleverly designed. My personal experience of sitting down on it, I would like to say that there is no struggle or whatsoever over the sitting down as very important points of energy or chakras as JMJM called them get opened by themselves by the posture favoured through the stool, And this is far of being theory this is a direct experience with the stool. Mayka --- On Tue, 15/3/11, Mel <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Mel <[email protected]> Subject: [Zen] a meditative practise, a meditative life To: [email protected] Date: Tuesday, 15 March, 2011, 1:05 --- On Tue, 15/3/11, Maria Lopez <[email protected]> wrote: MAYKA: Hi Mel; MEL: Hello signora(*smiles*) MAYKA: Enjoying reading your posting . I value a lot this kind of posting as it helps me to keep in "The Comfortable Zone" of Buddha energy. MEL: Thank you. Some may regard my posting as rather simplictic, but I'm a very simple man with a simple life MAYKA: What kind of stool are you using for your sitting down?. Is a Japanese zazen stool or something else?. If it's the Japanese, then do not worry too much. MEL: It's only a cheap plastic adult-sized stool that I use, which I bought from one of those $2-shops..which you might also have there in Edinburgh(How I would really love to visit Scotland if I can! I've been watchin' the film GREYFRIARS BOBBY, and a host of LASSIE movies in the past...*smiles*) My old Japanese karate teacher laughingly refered to the zazen stool as the 'seiza chair', as he thought it was a ridiculous idea MAYKA: Your body will find its way by itself. Important is that you don't force or push your body as you can injury it. As you know by yourself experience of sitting down your conscious breathing will help you to be alert and acknowledge everything that is going on in your body as well as in your mind. As that alertness and acknowledging gets expanding more and more through continuous zazen you will come to distinguish when the discomfort is a healthy discomfort , (meaning: the mind tries to run away and start to trick one in all the possible ways. Don't give up and hold there) and the other kind of pain will be the pain of injury. These two kind of pain are different but are very easy to be sensed and see through the practice. MEL: Yes, thanks for that. However, even with my arthritis and gout history, it is still possible for me to get into the Burmese posture but it's just that I've been starting to question the necessity for it. In the temple, they also teach us to face the wall. Hmmmm..I dunno.. Are you able to get into the full Lotus seating method yourself? in Buddha's peace and grace Mel
