Zen living part 8 (summarized): You've already started living zen

JimmyPage

Your life has already begun, and you can start living in the moment right now.

Everything you need to live mindfully and completely is already within you.

Doing your job, maintaining personal discipline, and developing devotion toward fellow sentient beings and the care of the world are ideal arenas for practicing mindfulness and letting go of attachments.

Zen meditation, or zazen, is simply but mindfully sitting to cultivate full awareness.

Meditation is difficult because the mind is in the habit of attaching to thoughts, feelings, ideas, and opinions. Everyday sitting will gradually train your mind to observe rather than attach.

awildflower

Your singing my song Jimmy

JimmyPage

It's a beautiful, peaceful song, isn't it?

Mad Sweeney

I get the first three paragraphs but not the last two about meditation. How does zen meditation differ from just sitting and quietly musing? Or does it?

JimmyPage

Often our mind will wander out of control. The key is to tame the mind. One way to attempt this is to concentrate purely on our breathing. It's like practicing scales when you first start learning to play the piano. The more you practice, the better you get, and even when you can play Rachmaninoff, you still spend time on those scales.

BabaYaga

How does zen meditation differ from just sitting and quietly musing? Or does it?

It is quieting what the Buddhists call "monkey mind": that seemingly endless chatter of the mind. It is possible to pause the chatter and quiet the mind. Within that space is a peace that is indescribable.

BurnTheShips

You've already started living zen

AWESOME!!!!!!! I'm feelin' it !

BTS

Mad Sweeney

I do square breathing when I need to fall asleep quick but I've never done controlled breathing and managed to stay awake. Worth a try, I suppose, but I REALLY LIKE thinking and I'm not sure I'd enjoy a state of quiet like you guys describe.

I'll give it a try tomorrow and report back.

poppers

Worth a try, I suppose, but I REALLY LIKE thinking and I'm not sure I'd enjoy a state of quiet like you guys describe.

There's nothing wrong with thinking, but are you your thoughts/mind? Is life only to be defined and confined by what is in the mind? Ask, "What am I really?" and then sit quietly and see what is present that never goes away. What "that" is is not found in the mind; what "that" is can only be found in silence. That's why it is so satisfying and enjoyable - to find what's beneath thought and its turbulence is peace itself.

awildflower

So nice to hear from you Poppers Yes, JP, a sweet song, and I love the cat

Zen living part 8 (summarized): You've already started living zen

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