Comments on: Strategies and Standards. Goal #2.

By: Generation Sit » Blog Archive » Living as a Modern Monk: Practice Reveals Perfection

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 18:20:32 +0000

[...] In terms of daily life this means having a clear commitment to an amount of time I will spend on my spiritual practice, and then actually doing it. There is then the practice of post-meditation, or bringing whatever insights, groundedness, openings, etc. I’ve cultivated during that time of practice into the rest of my day. My personal commitment in this area of “mind training” has been to have a steady daily meditation practice, to extend that awareness throughout the day, and finally to spend a decent amount of time in more intensive practice conditions each year, “on retreat.” To advance, I retreat – Roger Walsh [...]

By: Numinous Nonsense » Living as a Modern Monk: Practice Reveals Perfection

Numinous Nonsense » Living as a Modern Monk: Practice Reveals Perfection — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 18:18:06 +0000

By: Vince

Vince — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 22:23:24 +0000

Thanks for the vote of confidence Duffster. My understanding with goals is that the more specific the better. That’s all I’m trying to do. If people interpret that as ‘anal’ what can I do?

And yes, why beat ourselves up…?

By: duff

duff — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 20:41:55 +0000

I don’t think it’s too rigid at all.

And I like that you’ve explicitly stated your intention to simply notice if your discipline happens to slack, without beating yourself up. Recently I’ve come to the realization that beating yourself up about falling off your plan is wasted time and energy that could be spent on getting back on track or re-evaluating!

By: Sean O

Sean O — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 16:53:50 +0000

Thanks for the public articulation of your goals and strategies, Vince. I have found it hard to maintain a daily meditaion practice and it may help to learn your process.

By: Sean

Sean — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 04:42:21 +0000

Excellent response and thanks for the complement. I wish you the best on the unending path of mastery

By: Vince

Vince — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 00:51:48 +0000

One more thing Sean: You have a really well designed site! Very pleasing to the eye…

By: Vince

Vince — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 00:45:39 +0000

You are correct Sean, I have read that story (koan) before. This is my answer to that koan, which I shared in the most recent response to David Jon:

“The conditions of my life mean nothing in relation to the Unconditioned. Freedom is neither limited nor enhanced by any set of conditions. How could it be?”

Zazen is about changing the conditions, yes? I sit, but I don’t sit because I think it will have any effect on Freedom. Freedom IS. Because I know this, I sit. Because I know this, I strive towards mastery. And that might change (nay, will change), because it has to do with conditions, not with Truth. But for now, I sit.

By: Sean

Sean — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 00:39:14 +0000

Maybe this little story (you’ve probably read before) is something to consider in light of Jon’s comment:

One day Master Huai-Jang visited Ma-tsu’s hut. Ma-tsu stood and greeted him.
Huai-jang asked, “What have you been doing recently?”
Ma-tsu replied, “I have done nothing but sit in zazen.”
Huai-jang asked, “Why do you continually sit in zazen?”
Ma-tsu answered, “I sit in zazen in order to become Buddha.”
Huai-jang picked up a tile and started to polish it using another tile he found by the side of Ma-tsu’s hut.
Ma-tsu watched what he was doing and asked, “Master, what are you doing?”
Huai-jang answered, “I am polishing this tile.”
Ma-tsu asked, “Why are you polishing the tile?”
Huai-jang answered, “To make a mirror.”
Ma-tsu said, “How can you make a mirror by polishing a clay tile?”
Huai-jang replied, “How can you become a Buddha by doing zazen?”

Just a thought …

By: Vince

Vince — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 19:48:55 +0000

Yo DJP…

I wrote a short response to your comment above. I hope that it answers some of your questions. Also, feel free to keep challenging me… I do appreciate it.