Bill!, I agree with everything you wrote, but i would add that most Buddhist teaching techniques ( including Zen) aim to not only stop creating delusions, but to see that the delusions we create are due to a belief in a mind and a self and ignorance of impermanence. I add this only for Stephen's interest, not because ts news to you.
Mike --- In [email protected], "Bill!" <BillSmart@...> wrote: > > Hi, and welcome to the group. > > All Zen Buddhist teaching techniques are geared toward one thing, and that is > halting the mind from creating delusions. These include chanting, bowing, > koan study, work detail and of course zazen (zen meditation). Zazen is the > most often used and I think the most effective. > > The best way to learn zazen is to go to a Zen Buddhist sangha and receive > firsthand instruction. If you can't do that there are many sites on the WWW > that can give you step-by-step instructions on how to begin practicing zazen. > > In the beginning I was taught to 'count my breathes'. That's 1 on an exhale, > then 2 on the inhale, 3 on the exhale, 4 on the inhale, etc..., until you get > to 10 and then just start over. If you loose count (which you will) or if > you find yourself counting 15, 17 (which you will) just go back to 1 and > start over. Try to concentrate on the numbers and if you start thinking > about anything else, like 'I wonder what's for dinner' or 'gee, I'm really > sitting well today', just go back to 1 and start over. > > Keep doing this until you can successfully count your breathes for 10 minutes > or so. This ought to be enough for you for about at least a week of more > until you can do that. > > It doesn't really matter how long you sit at one time. I'd suggest you start > with 10 minutes and work up to 20 or so. There's no need to go longer than > that unless you really want to. I usually sit 40 minutes but I've been doing > this for almost 50 years so I'm used to it. > > Keep us informed of how your sitting is going. And of course good luck, > although luck really has nothing to do with it. I guess it would be better > to say 'good determination'... > > ...Bill! > > --- In [email protected], "shepherdspie1962" <shepherdspie1962@> > wrote: > > > > Hi: > > I've read several books on Zen. My favorite being "the teachings of zen > > master huang po". In it he says that the cause of our delusion is our > > analytical thinking, i.e., always judging things as good/bad, right/wrong, > > etc. From his perspective the point of practice seems to be to discipline > > our minds so that we can stop this kind of thinking. But I wonder if there > > are different techniques that work sufficiently well or, if some techniques > > might work for one person while another technique works for someone else > > [for example: chanting versus silent meditation]. Also when sitting I'm not > > sure if I should be trying not to think at all, or if I should be repeating > > a mantra, or repeating a koan, or just sitting and letting my mind do > > whatever it does...feedback appreciated. thanks. > > > ------------------------------------ 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: [email protected] [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/
