Joe, Zen doesn't care if your spine is curved or straight or your eyes are open or closed..
Edgar On Nov 13, 2012, at 5:34 PM, Joe wrote: > Merle, > > Choose any way of sitting with the spine straight. > > Eyes always OPEN in zazen. > > Incense may burn in the room, and it has an exact purpose. > > We do not "listen for gongs", but bells are used to send signals so that the > voice need never be used. > > I know you are clearly quoting someone else, but even they have it exactly > wrong, so be careful who you crib from! > > Seriously, if you sit an hour a day, does not everything during the remaining > twenty three hours shine more beautifully? > > No? > > I know I'm not the only one -- not the only Painter -- to see this. > > Try two hours? > > There may be intense enjoyment and suffering in life with no practice, but > there is no awakening, and there is ...no Zen. > > That's the bottom line, recognized by Accountants as far back as 2500 years > ago, and up to this day. ;-) > > Probably tomorrow, too. > > I think each of us should be sure not to disparage practice, even if we have > rejected it personally for ourselves, or never tasted it. > > Now, Merle, I know you were only saying that it is not *your* way, and I > understand that. But you got all the details wrong in your quote. So, maybe > you're saying something better than is obvious. Because, *not* to practice > the false things you quoted is at least not blatant and consummate > foolishness. > > But that's pretty neutral, and not yet positive. > > You might tell us what practice is to you, then, if you have a moment. > > --Joe > > > Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@...> wrote: > > > > .practising zen to me is not sitting cross legged on "handwoven mats, eyes > > shut tight, sniffing incense and listening to gongs." > >
