Merle, Bill keeps telling us that sitting is what's important over everything else, yet he very rarely sits!
Edgar On May 1, 2013, at 8:49 AM, Merle Lester wrote: > > > is it the quality or the quantity that is important?..merle > > > Bill, > > Previously you told us you sat only 3 times a week for 2 sessions of 22 > minutes apiece which totals less than 3 hours a week... > > Edgar > > > > On Apr 30, 2013, at 9:58 PM, Bill! wrote: > >> >> Joe, Edgar and Everyone, >> >> I sit (zazen) almost every day. I actually intend to sit every day but some >> days that schedule is interrupted. When I sit it is usually in the morning >> shortly after I wake and take a shower but BEFORE breakfast or any >> stimulants like a cup of tea. When I sit I sit for 20 minutes and then get >> up and walk around about 5 minutes to stretch my legs. I like to repeat this >> two more times for a total of 3 sessions of sitting. Sometimes I substitute >> bowing or chanting for sitting or for one of the sessions. Sometimes I only >> sit 1 or 2 sessions, and sometimes like I said not at all. >> >> What are your practices vis-a-vis zazen or some other form of meditation? >> >> ...Bill! >> >> --- In [email protected], "Joe" <desert_woodworker@...> wrote: >> > >> > Edgar, >> > >> > When I sit, I sit in the world of forms. Granted, I stay with my method of >> > meditation. Except when I don't. And then I come back to it. This is >> > Practice, and keeping and putting-in-a-foundation. It's not to be >> > neglected, and neither has it ever been deprecated by the Old Masters, nor >> > even our quite young, recent, master teachers. >> > >> > To my mind, Zazen is the indispensable 1/13th part of Zen practice. >> > >> > We all know too how little Bill! needs to sit, because he revealed it >> > here. Howdy!, and kudos, Bill!(!). >> > >> > So, Edgar: Start a point, please, because ...so far you have none. >> > >> > --Joe >> > >> > PS If you were ever really one of their students, you'd have done more >> > than *hear* about sitting from those traditional Zen masters you don't >> > name. And you would definitely have heard about it, and not "almost >> > never". Neither Dogen nor Hongzi mentioned it? Well, it's in their >> > writings: As contemporaries, they were both 13th Century C.E. figures; >> > their vocalizations have faded. >> > >> > > Edgar Owen <edgarowen@> wrote: >> > > >> > > Joe and Bill, >> > > >> > > It is true that sitting is almost never mentioned in the words of the >> > > traditional Zen masters. Enlightenment Zen experience is almost always >> > > the result of actions IN THE WORLD OF FORMS and consists of seeing the >> > > true nature of the world of forms. >> > > >> > > You two are totally outside of and go against Zen tradition by the >> > > exclusive emphasis you put on sitting.... >> > >> > > > > >
