Fudo has likened trying to sit shikantaza without the guidance of a teacher or support of a sangha to masturbation. Interestingly (to me, anyway) the Finnish word for masturbation translates part for part into English as "self satisfaction" or "self gratification"--just the sort shoring up and pampering the self that Buddhism (and Christianity, Judaism, Islam, etc.) are trying to combat, I suppose.
So I think Fudo is right. Still there may be another way to defend the importance of having a sangha: Some of what comes to a meditator's attention is what s/he has managed to keep buried by overlooking it--and it isn't always pleasant to have this "garbage" revealed to one's consciousness. So being able to work in the context of a sangha provides a safe environment for meditation. One is (in the best cases, at least) surrounded by others who have taken the same journey, know its perils and that they can be survived. Likewise, a teacher is important: A teacher can help one avoid one of the dangers of meditation which seems to me to be particularly easy for solitary meditators to fall victim to: fixing on material that will sore up one's sense of self-importance (or one's sense of worthlessness) and downplay one's compassion and gratitude for others. It seems to me not quite correct to think that meditation and daily life are two entirely separate things. Meditation might be something like the hub and daily life the wheel (if the hub is stable, the wheel will spin smoothly [provided some minor adjustments are made to bring it into balance]). So a sangha and teacher seem important even off the cushion. Now a couple questions someone might want to take up here: Who (or what) counts as a teacher? Who (or what) can serve as a sangha? James ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Has someone you know been affected by illness or disease? Network for Good is THE place to support health awareness efforts! http://us.click.yahoo.com/UwRTUD/UOnJAA/i1hLAA/S27xlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Noble Eightfold Path: Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration, Right Livelihood Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZenForum/ <*> 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/
