Virtual Zendo

Just a little over a week into the Big Sit and we’re still going. I know its a little crazy to congratulate myself after only a week, but its the longest period of time I’ve managed to maintain a sitting practice since moving a little over a year ago.

I noticed on Tricycle’s Community pages that there are some others working through some back pain issues. I have had to “sit” lying down a few times. In this position, it seems harder for me to maintain my focus. I feel more like I,m resting than meditating. But it is better than nothing and I’m starting to be able to sit for greater portions of the promised 20 minutes.

What I have found most interesting is how quickly the focus has come back. Already, I am finding it easier to settle down and quiet the mind. This goes up and down, of course, but nothing like in the beginning. I only started meditating a couple of years ago and it has been a while. I feel though as if I am, maybe not picking up where I left off, but at least not starting over form scratch. This is somewhat of a relief.

I really hope that after this initial 90-day program, I will be able to continue with my meditation practice daily. I felt better and my wife claims I was easier to live with when I was meditating daily.

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The first day went just fine. I had thrown my back out last week and was considering joining in a little later. But it’s been feeling better so I went ahead. Actually, I think the sitting posture helped.

Then, last night my daughter wanted to be picked up and carried to bed (she’s 8). I just couldn’t say no (how much longer is she going to be my little girl after all?). So I picked her up and started towards her room.  It didn’t take more than six or eight steps before the pain shot in through my hip, down through my left leg to the calf where it crashed into a numbing throb. I put her down but it was too late.

I thought the sitting might do me some good as it did the night before. It was a little tricky to get into position – I sit in half-lotus – but I soon settled in. After only a few minutes, I just couldn’t sit any longer. Rather than quit, though I just lied down on my side and kept counting breaths. It worked pretty well and I am glad I didn’t quit.

Well, day two and I’m still “sitting”. Even if, last night’s “sitting” was more of a lying down meditation. So far so good.

And on Friday – to the chiropractor.

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Tricycle Magazine’s 90-day Zen Meditation Challenge begins today. Some of you may remember last year’s Commit to Sit Challenge. The idea is to join together with a community of people who all commit to beginning a sitting practice. (more soon)

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Zen ritual, like most things Zen, is pretty bare-bones. Still when I moved away from the center where I had been practicing, I found myself missing it. I had been looking for a way to bring some ritual into my daily life without cluttering things up too much. I felt this need more greatly after the move. In some of my reading I found again and again that though Buddhism is a non-theistic religion, there is a necessary devotional component which is an inherent part of the process of personal awakening.

The book: Bringing the Sacred to Life: The Daily Practice of Zen Ritual by John Daido Loori, spiritual leader and abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery outlines a simple set of rituals which can be used at home. Nothing complicated or overly involved,just a basic home practice which is just what I was looking for. I have been using it now for about a month and it fills the need I have of bringing some sense of the sacred into my daily life, without making it overly “religious”.

A quote from the book says it: “Zen ritual is a way of acknowledging and celebrating the sacredness in all things.”

You may be able to find it at your local library (or ask them to order it), local bookstore or order it through Amazon:

Bringing the Sacred to Life: The Daily Practice of Zen Ritual (Dharma Communications)
Price: USD 10.36

31 used & new available from USD 3.94

Further reading:

More about ritual at About.com.

Atheism and Buddhism — Buddhism as an Atheistic Religion scroll down to “The Roll of Devotion”.

Everyday Life is The Practice at Shambala Sun.

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I’m not sure I am, really. I haven’t been ‘confirmed’, taken Jukai, taken refuge officially or anything. My meditation practice is spotty at best. I’m not yet sure I believe or even understand all the Buddha taught.

One of the reasons I started this site was to explore these issues. I have a tendency to turn inward when thinking about things, which in moderation can be a good thing. But I tend to get lost in there. So, turning 180 degrees I’m going to explore my inner life on the www.

Below are some of the links I am using in my search. I hope they are helpful to someone out there as well.

• The Life of the Buddha — Siddhartha Gautama, the Founder of Buddhism
• How to Become a Buddhist
• Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels — Becoming a Buddhist
• Beliefs of Buddhism — Buddhist Beliefs
• Buddhism Basics — An Introduction to Buddhism

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TED talk about compassion and Buddhism and peace by Tenzin Bob Thurman from 2006 (posted 2007).

He contends that we should be compassionate because it is more fun. When does suffering begin and the good times end? When we ask, “How much fun am I having? When will it end?” Our suffering ends when we stop thinking about how we are feeling and focus our thoughts and energies on making the lives of our fellow creatures (even one) better (even just a little bit).

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Best Father’s Day wishes to all fathers everywhere – even mine.

An inspirational Father’s Day story

Another take on the subject

I have nothing to add.

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Change Your Mind Day | Tricycle

Change Your Mind Day 2008 will be held on June 7th, the first Saturday in June, on tricycle.com. Please send us news of your own Change Your Mind Day!

In 1993 Tricycle created Change Your Mind Day, an afternoon of free meditation instruction, as a way of introducing the general public to Buddhist thought and practice. Tricycle decided to hold the teachings out of doors, as in the time of the Buddha, in the hopes of welcoming people who otherwise might shy away from the formality of a zendo or gompa. We booked a hill in Central Park and put up fliers around town.

If there isn’t a local Change Your Mind Day event in your area, try the Virtual CYM page.

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I just didn’t make it this time. Life got in the way. Of course I let it.

We traveled to China to adopt our son. I vainly thought I could maintain my sitting practice, but alas I didn’t even make through the first week of the trip. I beat myself up over this for some time. Doubts about my overall commitment to this practice and this path crept in and here I am several months later still not sitting daily.

I have restarted my practice, though. I will move forward, gently. Gradually building up to a daily hour of meditation. This is, I think a minimum goal for the attainment of some progress.

In July, I will be attending the summer sesshin at ZCLA. It is a week long retreat. At the very least, I don’t want to arrive there so out of shape that I spend the whole time in knots, muscles aching.

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It all goes away; the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful. When it goes, what remains?

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