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love you bodhi> @Kotishka said:

Rising early, following the precepts, sitting daily, being quiet when necessary, and speaking with right speech and intention when required—this takes time and development. Once, I believed this brought a much-needed sense of discipline, but in my case, it has been life’s punches that revealed how foolish I was for not following them sooner.

Perhaps discipline and awareness can prevent such unnecessary suffering. Once you truly see it, it’s not as easy to fall back. Still, I cannot forget that the flaws in my character can reignite like dry tumbleweeds quite easily. Thus, the precepts and sitting are non-negotiable.

ty bodhi koishka. i will join in discipline in my zen be and do.

what im realizing soon dicipline becomes u...a way of life.

since you are a zenist like me, chop wood carry water on...

a tidbit, why we practice is to be the unborn like shakimooni. our mind is buddha.through awareness we be awake to nirvanna.

the buudha nature is be and do with ordinary mind. but sit, you will be the samstate of all in all--the natural sambodhi flavor of...the dharmakaya...happy, bliss,peace

our discipline is like ink drawing a circle...complete in your self.

namaste, sambodhi in me bow the sambodhi in u.

s.a.m bodhi...nirvana is in samsara by the grace of sam ohm our dharmakaya mother

Rising early, following the precepts, sitting daily, being quiet when necessary, and speaking with right speech and intention when required—this takes time and development. Once, I believed this brought a much-needed sense of discipline, but in my case, it has been life’s punches that revealed how foolish I was for not following them sooner.

Perhaps discipline and awareness can prevent such unnecessary suffering. Once you truly see it, it’s not as easy to fall back. Still, I cannot forget that the flaws in my character can reignite like dry tumbleweeds quite easily. Thus, the precepts and sitting are non-negotiable.

Great post, Kotishka.

Maybe it's a middle-way type of thing, but I tend towards the undisciplined extreme...

It's always discipline that gets me on the straight&narrow and ultimately happy, healthy, and sane.

It's always non-discipline that gets me into trouble.

Onwards with your efforts and I hope I gain more discipline too

I still my breathing; I gently relax my whole body, and release tension. I have noticed often, that I seem to experience a sensation of tingling between my skull and brain.. very subtle, almost imperceptible... and my palms also tingle, a little bit like pins and needles, and I can palpate energy between them, as if pressing on an inflated balloon...
I have become aware of the head sensation, since experiencing the car accident last year.☆
Less welcome sensations involve pain to my left eye, manifesting in different ways; and I have experienced 4 severe migraines since.
I am alive. I can't complain. I am grateful for the fact I still exist!

☆see update in this thread:
https://newbuddhist.com/discussion/27257/up-and-down-in-and-out-knocked-sideways#latest

The closest liturgy I’ve ever followed was the Hare Krishna puja. I attended these regularly for about 4–5 months back in Berlin. Another experience was attending a Tibetan Buddhist group meditation session, though there was only a simple incense offering near some photos by the altar.

Now, the closest thing to that is me chanting the Heart Sutra before zazen, early in the morning.

What’s your experience with chanting? Does it ever feel a bit off to you? I find that my relationship with this sutra sometimes reminds me of the Pure Land schools — Recite and you will be saved! It’s a kind of critical view I hold toward it. But maybe, the more accustomed you become to chanting, the more you’re also letting go of other habits?

Could it be that it works?

I light a candle,
burn some incense.
Chant, sit.

Peace!