Thanks to all for the welcome back! Meditated yesterday evening - in my chair next to the radiator! We've had a raw sort of coldness up here in Yorkshire this past week.
Reading the comments on 'thoughts while meditating' I remembered a useful article I read from Yoga Journal:
"Thoughts on Thinking," Edward Espe Brown.
At my first formal interview with Suzuki Roshi, I didn't know what to say....Suzuki took the initiative. "How's your meditation?" "Not so good," I replied. "What's not so good?" "I'm thinking a lot." "And what's the problem with thinking?" he asked. That stumped me. When I looked directly for the problem with thinking, I couldn't find it. My fallback position was to tell him the dos and don'ts of meditation. "You're not supposed to think in meditation," I said. "You're supposed to quiet your mind." "Thinking is pretty normal, don't you think?" I had to agree with the Roshi, who then explained that the problem with thinking was not thinking per se, but thinking that was stuck. ... An old Chinese Zen master once said, "Some of you are taking me literally when I say, 'Don't think,' and you are making your minds like a rock. This is a cause of insentiency and an obstruction to the Way. When I say not to think, I mean that if you have a thought, think nothing of it."
that was a lovely quote anna, and I have experienced that very vividly; that if i try not to think, or to hold on to not thinking my mind becomes hard and fixed.
hope all went well yesterday devon..
the latest developments here (instant fame and possibly even riches for J) have made vivid how separate the mind state (and therefore happiness) is from one's surroundings and situation. extraordinary. just sitting together planning for the millionth time the renovation of our hayloft but for the first time with a possibility that it might actually be possible, i was so aware that this would not change anything inwardly for me. (ok, yes it would mean that i had a room of my own) I can't really describe it.
happy sunday everyone. It's warm and delicious here in provence and I sat with the sun on my face listening to sound - essentially birdsong- my favourite meditation.
Not very well today (stomach upset) and have been too uncomfortable to meditate. But I'd like to commit here that I will later on this afternoon just sit quietly for 5 mins at my little altar. That's all, but I know it will be enough.
I dipped my toe back again into the relationship pool recently (the man in question and I go back awhile). Don't know where it's going, but am finding it much easier this time around to stay as far as possible in the present and just enjoy it for what it is. Doesn't work 100% of the time, but a much larger part of it than previously. Relieved and grateful for the peace, which I think is owed in large part to a regular meditation practice, and I am grateful to you all.
Anna: lovely quote, like Ruth, that's my experience too. Devon: hope all is OK. Ruth: thank you for the reminder that happiness does not depend on external circumstances.
Nicole; very much enjoyed reading about your copying the sutras. In particular I love your attitude about having no expectations of yourself and no embarrassment about your perceived lack of ability. If you can bottle that and sell it, I'll buy some! :-) It's getting better but I've a long way to go in this area in all parts of my life.
Hey there, everyone. Welcome back to Anna, and happy de-lurking to Clare: I'm so glad you've been motivated by my bows since I've fallen off that practice *again*. I intended to get up & do bows this morning, but instead I shoveled snow! Maybe tomorrow.... :-)
Devon, I hope yesterday went okay.
I haven't yet sat this morning: I read in bed when I first woke up (weekend luxury!), then I dug out my car from yesterday's snow. Next step: a scenic dogwalk somewhere I can take some snow pix! :-)
Yesterday, I ended up doing about 10 minutes spontaneous "gratitude meditation" at the kitchen table after dinner. It's not something I've ever done before, but after I finished eating, it felt right to pause a while & be grateful for a warm house, healthy food, friends & loved ones, etc. It felt something akin to prayer, like "asking grace" after one's meal rather than before it!
After that, I sat about 10 minutes on my mat & cushion doing "formal" meditation...but that spontaneous following-of-breath after dinner felt just as "meditative" as the formal stuff.
PS: I love that line from the article Anna referred to: "When I say not to think, I mean that if you have a thought, think nothing of it." That's it *exactly*, isn't it?
Yes, Lorianne you're right! I meant to highlight that more - it's my favourite line and I think of it often as a way of trying to ready my mind for meditation - as a way of heading off the disappointment as I start my practice and immediately dive into the past and future :) Anna.
lorianne - your 'gratitude meditation' at the table made me smile and warmed my heart ... I felt such a connectedness with you and with all in our small cyber sangha
this is the meal gatha we recite -
We venerate the Three Treasures and are thankful for this meal, the work of many people and the sharing of other forms of life.
looking forward to seeing your snow pix - we've had a colorful weekend here on Vancouver Island: pink cherry blossoms, yellow daffodils and white snow
9 Comments:
Thanks to all for the welcome back! Meditated yesterday evening - in my chair next to the radiator! We've had a raw sort of coldness up here in Yorkshire this past week.
Reading the comments on 'thoughts while meditating' I remembered a useful article I read from Yoga Journal:
"Thoughts on Thinking," Edward Espe Brown.
At my first formal interview with Suzuki Roshi, I didn't know what to say....Suzuki took the initiative.
"How's your meditation?"
"Not so good," I replied.
"What's not so good?"
"I'm thinking a lot."
"And what's the problem with thinking?" he asked.
That stumped me. When I looked directly for the problem with thinking, I couldn't find it. My fallback position was to tell him the dos and don'ts of meditation.
"You're not supposed to think in meditation," I said. "You're supposed to quiet your mind."
"Thinking is pretty normal, don't you think?"
I had to agree with the Roshi, who then explained that the problem with thinking was not thinking per se, but thinking that was stuck.
...
An old Chinese Zen master once said, "Some of you are taking me literally when I say, 'Don't think,' and you are making your minds like a rock. This is a cause of insentiency and an obstruction to the Way. When I say not to think, I mean that if you have a thought, think nothing of it."
Enjoy your Sunday, everyone.
Anna.
Here is the URL for the article:
yogajournal.com/meditation/587.cfm
(Sorry, I need to learn how to insert a proper link.)
Anna.
that was a lovely quote anna, and I have experienced that very vividly; that if i try not to think, or to hold on to not thinking my mind becomes hard and fixed.
hope all went well yesterday devon..
the latest developments here (instant fame and possibly even riches for J) have made vivid how separate the mind state (and therefore happiness) is from one's surroundings and situation. extraordinary. just sitting together planning for the millionth time the renovation of our hayloft but for the first time with a possibility that it might actually be possible, i was so aware that this would not change anything inwardly for me. (ok, yes it would mean that i had a room of my own) I can't really describe it.
happy sunday everyone. It's warm and delicious here in provence and I sat with the sun on my face listening to sound - essentially birdsong- my favourite meditation.
Not very well today (stomach upset) and have been too uncomfortable to meditate. But I'd like to commit here that I will later on this afternoon just sit quietly for 5 mins at my little altar. That's all, but I know it will be enough.
I dipped my toe back again into the relationship pool recently (the man in question and I go back awhile). Don't know where it's going, but am finding it much easier this time around to stay as far as possible in the present and just enjoy it for what it is. Doesn't work 100% of the time, but a much larger part of it than previously. Relieved and grateful for the peace, which I think is owed in large part to a regular meditation practice, and I am grateful to you all.
Anna: lovely quote, like Ruth, that's my experience too.
Devon: hope all is OK.
Ruth: thank you for the reminder that happiness does not depend on external circumstances.
Meant to add:
Welcome Clare!
Nicole; very much enjoyed reading about your copying the sutras. In particular I love your attitude about having no expectations of yourself and no embarrassment about your perceived lack of ability. If you can bottle that and sell it, I'll buy some! :-) It's getting better but I've a long way to go in this area in all parts of my life.
Hey there, everyone. Welcome back to Anna, and happy de-lurking to Clare: I'm so glad you've been motivated by my bows since I've fallen off that practice *again*. I intended to get up & do bows this morning, but instead I shoveled snow! Maybe tomorrow.... :-)
Devon, I hope yesterday went okay.
I haven't yet sat this morning: I read in bed when I first woke up (weekend luxury!), then I dug out my car from yesterday's snow. Next step: a scenic dogwalk somewhere I can take some snow pix! :-)
Yesterday, I ended up doing about 10 minutes spontaneous "gratitude meditation" at the kitchen table after dinner. It's not something I've ever done before, but after I finished eating, it felt right to pause a while & be grateful for a warm house, healthy food, friends & loved ones, etc. It felt something akin to prayer, like "asking grace" after one's meal rather than before it!
After that, I sat about 10 minutes on my mat & cushion doing "formal" meditation...but that spontaneous following-of-breath after dinner felt just as "meditative" as the formal stuff.
PS: I love that line from the article Anna referred to: "When I say not to think, I mean that if you have a thought, think nothing of it." That's it *exactly*, isn't it?
Yes, Lorianne you're right! I meant to highlight that more - it's my favourite line and I think of it often as a way of trying to ready my mind for meditation - as a way of heading off the disappointment as I start my practice and immediately dive into the past and future :)
Anna.
lorianne - your 'gratitude meditation' at the table made me smile and warmed my heart ... I felt such a connectedness with you and with all in our small cyber sangha
this is the meal gatha we recite -
We venerate the Three Treasures
and are thankful for this meal,
the work of many people
and the sharing of other forms of life.
looking forward to seeing your snow pix - we've had a colorful weekend here on Vancouver Island: pink cherry blossoms, yellow daffodils and white snow
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