A recent post of Gregor’s, Practice is Life, clicked for me.
...To approach practice with a new understanding, a realization that life and practice must fully encompass one another.
Through our practice, we engage in life. Observation on the cushion, informs how to act and interact with others. It’s often said that our practice is the cultivation of Wisdom and Compassion. This Wisdom and Compassion isn’t developed in isolation, it’s applied to life.
When life is viewed through the eyes of practice, it feed, develops, and enhances the qualities of life. The very act of viewing life through such eyes creates a feedback loop, continuing the enhancements to life and practice.
Practice and Living require each other for development. They grow in their reflections and interactions. Without balance between the two, no solid foundations can be laid. An example I find illuminates this;
Practice without life creates hermits, unable to live skillfully in the world.
Life without practice does not allow for skillful living in the world.
Practice and Life, together, develop a foundation from which skillful living flowers.
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Develop your sitting practice and you will enhance your life. Leave a comment to show me how your practice enhances your life.
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Wade,
Interesting question for me to ponder. While, the technique of Zazen is objectiveless (just sitting), I would not say that it is without results.
My sitting practice helps me to be more balanced, less likely to fly into a fit of passion, or slip into laziness or depression.
Nishijima Roshi describes Zazen through scientific principles, discussings it’s impact on the autonomic nervous system—- It’s a very interesrting approach. Sort of nice to see how profound spiritual practice can fit with science. We generally see religion and science as opposed to each other, not the case in terms of realistic religious practice.
Hi Gregor,
Thanks for your comments and view points. They’re very interesting to me.
Regards,
Wade
Wade,
A simple and wonderful view on meditation. If I have a difficult day at work I’m more likely to feel the joy in the moment if I meditated earlier in the day. By creating that centering foundation I’m able to enjoy my emotions so much more.
Keep them coming,
Karl
Hi Karl,
Thanks for your support and comments.
Peace,
Wade
Hi Wade, thanks for the website.
Although meditation is somewhat new to me (about two months), it has given me several great benefits.
I am a busy person, who stays busy to avoid my feelings, since hitting 40 I have become very tired, just clamoring for a break. Meditation helps to really give me a break, not only in my body, but my ever busy mind as well.
A second aspect of meditation is that it is helping me connect to my long repressed emotions rather than avoiding them through busywork, food and booze.
And finally, my sitting before bed really helps with my sleep.
Don
The application of what one learns through sitting is ridiculously valuable. On a vipassana, I met a girl who had gained so much from the practice of noble silence and her meditation, that she felt ill-at-ease returning to the “real world” and so had hurried back to the centre to do her 4 or 5 straight 10 day sit.
Application is always the hard part.