Today's Sun Solstice, & I'm still wishing to do a 2 1/2 hour meditation (wasn't able to do it on Solstice Moon last week as hoped), and am trying to figure it out in a busy day & evening... if I mention it here, perhaps it'll help me to squeeze a long meditation out of the snowy wash of hours (each round of the mantra, a lightening), Thinking of you all, *hugs xo
Dale, thanks for your thoughts on looking at centers. I was surprised by your suggestion to steer clear of immigrant centers, but I understand your thinking.
It's sure fun to see this blog running along without me doing anything. It's kind of like when your kid goes off to college :-)
Moose, I have known one person who had a really good experience with an immigrant center, and I don't know of anyone who's had a really bad one. But by and large they're just doing something different -- providing material aid and weddings & baptisms & funerals & cultural comfort -- for people far from home. We do an odd sort of in-between thing here in the West -- most people as interested in meditation and spiritual self-transformation as we are in the East would enter a monastery -- that's just what you do if you want to pursue a spiritual path. Laymen don't mess much with the meditation; they just want a blessing every now and then, and to accumulate some merit maybe by contributing something to help the people who are practicing. (This is a huge gross generalization, lots of exceptions, but I don't think it's an unfair one.)
Dale, I was going to say that unlike kids gone off to college we are all still here with you every day, then I realised what a strange thing this was to say. 'Here with you' has many meanings... :-)
We were without power from 10:00 am until 5:30 today, which meant without light, heat, phones or computers in frigid Montreal! Luckily, we have a fireplace. After two hours of annoyance, I settled into it and the whole thing became meditative - especially the light slowly fading from 2:00 pm onward. I played my flute, knitted, read a little, but also just sat - not in intentional meditation, but not "not" either. It was pretty interesting; I haven't spent a day like that for a long time, and it was good for me. I was almost sorry when the power went back on!
I came here by way of Lorianne's "Hoarded Ordinaries" ... with the intent of starting into my '100 Days' commitment on January 1.
Maybe I'll just ease into it for a few days ... problem with an arthritic knee, and feeling resentful that I can't sit in regular zazen posture
I have a plan, and I call it '20-20-20' meaning twenty minutes yoga, twenty minutes zazen, twenty minutes walking ... with the intent of expanding to 30-30-30 and then 40-40-40
Lots of coincidental revelations lately that lead me to changing my koan ... more about that later
Hi to Brenda from Toronto (my home town) but now on Vancouver Island
11 Comments:
Hey...I just posted the day, which means it worked! :-)
(yes, it takes such simple things to thrill me...)
Jeez, Lorianne, what time did you get up? no, don't tell me... I have this image of you and Tom pondering submissions to Qarrtsiluni at 4 am.
Actually...that's not far from the truth! I posted the day just before 5 am my time...and I was editing Qarrtsiluni pieces before that!
(btw, it's not too late to contribute to Qarrtsiluni if anyone's interested...) :-)
Today's Sun Solstice, & I'm still wishing to do a 2 1/2 hour meditation (wasn't able to do it on Solstice Moon last week as hoped), and am trying to figure it out in a busy day & evening... if I mention it here, perhaps it'll help me to squeeze a long meditation out of the snowy wash of hours (each round of the mantra, a lightening), Thinking of you all, *hugs xo
I did sit yesterday at lunch.
Dale, thanks for your thoughts on looking at centers. I was surprised by your suggestion to steer clear of immigrant centers, but I understand your thinking.
Foggy this morning. Outside and inside!
It's sure fun to see this blog running along without me doing anything. It's kind of like when your kid goes off to college :-)
Moose, I have known one person who had a really good experience with an immigrant center, and I don't know of anyone who's had a really bad one. But by and large they're just doing something different -- providing material aid and weddings & baptisms & funerals & cultural comfort -- for people far from home. We do an odd sort of in-between thing here in the West -- most people as interested in meditation and spiritual self-transformation as we are in the East would enter a monastery -- that's just what you do if you want to pursue a spiritual path. Laymen don't mess much with the meditation; they just want a blessing every now and then, and to accumulate some merit maybe by contributing something to help the people who are practicing. (This is a huge gross generalization, lots of exceptions, but I don't think it's an unfair one.)
tee hee you made me laugh Dale. I sometimes could go down the blessing once in a while route!
Sat and became quiet in the quiet. Just really enjoying the silence (J wasn't even humming!) was a treat.
Thought already of writing something for Q, Lorraine. Am mulling.
Dale, I was going to say that unlike kids gone off to college we are all still here with you every day, then I realised what a strange thing this was to say. 'Here with you' has many meanings... :-)
We were without power from 10:00 am until 5:30 today, which meant without light, heat, phones or computers in frigid Montreal! Luckily, we have a fireplace. After two hours of annoyance, I settled into it and the whole thing became meditative - especially the light slowly fading from 2:00 pm onward. I played my flute, knitted, read a little, but also just sat - not in intentional meditation, but not "not" either. It was pretty interesting; I haven't spent a day like that for a long time, and it was good for me. I was almost sorry when the power went back on!
Beth, sitting by the fire knitting and playing your flute and meditating sounds just wonderful, and very appropriate for the Solstice.
I sat last night and looked and breathed into the dark of the longest night, and this morning and looked and breathed into the coming light. Nice
lovely word verifications lately: srunkaut, broepth
Hi all
I came here by way of Lorianne's "Hoarded Ordinaries" ... with the intent of starting into my '100 Days' commitment on January 1.
Maybe I'll just ease into it for a few days ... problem with an arthritic knee, and feeling resentful that I can't sit in regular zazen posture
I have a plan, and I call it '20-20-20' meaning twenty minutes yoga, twenty minutes zazen, twenty minutes walking ... with the intent of expanding to 30-30-30 and then 40-40-40
Lots of coincidental revelations lately that lead me to changing my koan ... more about that later
Hi to Brenda from Toronto (my home town) but now on Vancouver Island
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