Rewrisk, a coincidence indeed, I as well had asthma throughout my childhood and teens. Luckily, that has subsided over the years (no thanks to many hair-brained years of cigarettes, which I have only recently quit). But, anyway, my technique. I do place emphasis on just focusing on my breathing, yet I am still obviously very aware of the thoughts, ideas, plans, preferences, etc that all come and go as i meditate. Sometimes while I sit Zazen my mind and body are very calm, at other times I am anxious and have a very busy mind. Regardless of what mood or state I find my mind and body, I continue to sit until the predetermined time has been reached and it is time to get up. So, while I sit, my aim is to just look at the wall and focus on breath. Then I catch myself in thought, my practice is to just return to the present. Now, precisely this is what I am working on currently: as I catch myself in thought, I try not to think the words "just come back," rather, I am trying to become more proficient in just "doing" the "mental action" of "just coming back" without thinking it in words. I have been noticing that over the last couple of weeks with some determination I am becoming better at this. I also appreciate and value the this "mirrored reflection" ability of awareness, it is very subtle. To be able to just let the thoughts come and go on their own accord without pushing them away forcibly or making effort to keep them, this is a practice that i feel requires a substantial amount of training. But, like I said earlier, what I am mainly working on right now is trying not to think phrases like "just come back," instead to simply... come back.
--- In [email protected], "rewrisk" <rewrisk@...> wrote: > > Matt. > I was asthmatic as a child and as a young man found attempting to concentrate > on my breathing had rather unpleasant consequences. > I tried many meditative techniques and finally found that simply watching > what occured in my mind was most effective. I had heard of reflective > meditation and while the suggested technique didn't do it for me the idea of > reflection of holding a mirror to my mind, a mirror in which to watch what > occurred in it turned out to be very effective and I progressed quite quickly > once I learnt to. As I progressed I found myself tempted to interfere with > what I saw occuring, this slowed my progress untill I began to realise I was > not seeing everything and later as I progressed further the temptation to > interfere resulted in unpleasant effects so that I quickly ceased to fall to > such temptation. Eventually I found I was able to induce those states that > other meditative techniques suggested, through reflective awareness. > > So apart from indulging myself in the above self expression you can see how > one technique can lead to another. You say you know from practising > meditation on your breath that through it you can also enter a state of > mental stillness. So no effort goes without result there is only what you are > yet to discover. To me it sounds forced and the force of habit but you must > work atleast to some degree with your own nature I do not mean to insult. To > myself my technique sounds vain and self indulgent and it is. But has worked > for me quite well. > > > --- In [email protected], "mattmodrow" <fourforsure@> wrote: > > > > > > Rewrisk, thank you for your reply. Your considerate words are encouraging > > and wise. As far as my technique, I am fortunate enough to live fairly > > close by to a Zen meditation center of the Soto lineage. So, at home and > > at the center in my Zazen, the only object of my meditation is the breath. > > I have become quite familiar with several walls and love them dearly. :) > > Well, it is actually time to sit for the night, so again, thank you, and > > have a pleasant evening/day. > > --- In [email protected], "rewrisk" <rewrisk@> wrote: > > > > > > Yes. > > > I misread your; 'the "great matter of birth and death."' > > > I am heartened that you do not believe in reincarnation or life after > > > death. > > > I apologise to you, clearly I mistook my audience. > > > > > > You say 'I should hope I don't ever feel that I have reached a "place" in > > > my understanding'. And I am minded that I have found many a "place" in my > > > understanding but none I could rest on my laurels in. I took rest as I > > > had to and while I may have tried to superimpose meaning on that I found > > > meaning despite doing so. > > > > > > If you should wish to discuss meditative technique? > > > I myself have found a reflective awareness the most usefull. > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "mattmodrow" <fourforsure@> wrote: > > > > > > > > With all respect to you, rewisk, you have made a lot of assumptions > > > > about me without knowing me. I do not believe in reincarnation, or > > > > life after death. These are things I cannot know, because I have not > > > > died. And as far as how long it "should" take for a practitioner to > > > > "attain" anything, who is to say? I should hope I don't ever feel that > > > > I have reached a "place" in my understanding, I wish to just experience > > > > my life in the present moment with the growing of my understanding of > > > > Emptiness. > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "rewrisk" <rewrisk@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Sorry to have to tell you this Matt but you will not survive your > > > > > death. > > > > > Some people seem to think that life could only be fair if we are > > > > > reincarnated but they fail to recognise that if life was fair you > > > > > would have to pay for your advantages and not just your sins. If life > > > > > is fair then it can't be a gift. > > > > > Six years huh? > > > > > It only took me three and less than a year after I got serious about > > > > > it. I do not say this to boast only I wonder about you meditative > > > > > technique? I suppose if I include the time of my initial curiosity > > > > > maybe four or so. > > > > > I felt great need though, likely this is the difference. > > > > > Still I would expect any person who regularly practised an effective > > > > > form of meditation to atleast have attained a sense of thier personal > > > > > illusion. > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "mattmodrow" <fourforsure@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Myself, I do not feel that it is a matter of salvation. The > > > > > > matter, is the "great matter of birth and death." One of my > > > > > > favorite authors, Stephen Batchelor, in his book -Alone with > > > > > > others- says that the "aim" is for "the optimum mode of being." To > > > > > > me what this says is, that the aim of life would be living in > > > > > > awareness, as you grow and age through the years, hopefully you > > > > > > will become wiser. I recently had Dokusan with one of my teachers, > > > > > > and she said that Zen practice and enlightenment is kind of like in > > > > > > those old cartoons, when someone is about to receive a gift and > > > > > > they are told NOT to look. In the cartoons, we always see them > > > > > > peeking with one eye at the gift before it is given to them. So, I > > > > > > have been practicing since 2006, I have never had an "awakening > > > > > > experience," and that is fine with me. Zazen has taught me many > > > > > > things, and I know not to "peek," or in other words, to > > > > > > conceptualize what I think enlightenment is and then strive for it. > > > > > > Rather, I just live my daily life, always, constantly coming back > > > > > > to direct experience. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! 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