edgar...it's still quality of sitting..as he says he has the "empty cup"..you might sit 24/7 and it would be useless if you did not open your mind surely?...merle
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.... >>> >> >> > > > > >
