Best Of
Re: Quotes - discussion
@Jeroen said:
Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we’re still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it.
— W. Somerset Maugham, The Razor
To me this begs the question, what is delight truly? ...
>
Delight doesn't have to be a momentous, earth-shattering experience.
I take inexplicable delight in seeing the first snowdrop pushing up in late winter; and to my mind, there is nothing more delightful than seeing pink blossom against a blue, blue sky.
I take great delight in "walking" my dog, which I do with comfort and ease now; I bought me an adult trike, and with his long leash around my waist, I can now go a couple of miles, to give him the exercise he needs and deserves, without fear of my falling or being pulled over. What fun!
It’s rare that you see older people who still delight in something. I will be 53 later this year, and I feel this draining of the spirit creeping up on me, a kind of drawing down of the energies of youth. I’d like to be one of those older folk who still have a sense of lightness, kindness, fun.>
I was saddened to read this. Here I am, in my 69th year, with several plates to spin, and clubs to juggle, and I can take great delight in sitting quietly, with a nice coffee, and watch the birds on the feeders. Ten minutes of delight that anyone can enjoy, if you put your mind to it...
federica
Re: Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
Oh, and, it's 20 years since I joined this forum. I actually joined in March, 2005. I was not yet 50. And here I am, 2 years off 70!!
federica
Re: How do you experience your body?
When I want to do that I begin with Shamatha, to calm the mind, followed by Vipassana.
Re: How do you experience your body?
I still sweat and find my posture rigid. It takes me around 10minutes before I settle down.
Today I had a small intensive zazen retreat and I noticed that during the first two sessions of zazen I was representing the role of a muscle knot embodied as Kotishka.
Kotishka
Re: How do you experience your body?
@Kotishka
The initial part of my meditation is becoming aware of tension and relaxing, letting go. Exactly right, becoming aware, helps the softening.
In a sense, the mind/emotions too can tighten around ideas, feelings and chatter. Again by being attentive, we also find the process of leaving them to be, is part of acceptance and releasing... 
lobster
Liturgy, ritual..
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!
Kotishka
Re: How very disappointing...
One celibate monastery populated by men and women who lived and practiced together, managed to side-step many of the more commonly reported cases of sexual opportunism through an adherence to precepts against inappropriate sexuality along with a setting up of supportive structures to help those precepts succeed.
Establishing that even the appearance of a potential sexual impropriety should be avoided. No closed-door meetings, nobody in positions of power situating themselves between the vulnerable and an escapable doorway, having another "sensible" adult be within an audible hearing distance of any counseling's or meetings, etc.
Having teachers clearly posit to their followers that one of the more inevitable harms of any sexual interactions between their Sangha members occurs when relationship breakups oblige one or another of the participants to leave their practice places & teachers of choice. That any sexual indulgences in such circumstances are simply a fostering of one's own ego over the spiritual needs of others.
Anyone breaking such rules were summarily asked to leave and no longer hold themselves up as representatives of that school, no matter how long they had practiced there.
While a bit too hardcore for some of the laity to follow themselves, I think it certainly helped monastics and the followers of their satellite centers & groups to avoid many of the failings that seem to have afflicted so many other Buddhist lineages.
how