shaman sun
03-15-2009, 07:06 PM
I should have thought of this one earlier: Tricycle is hosting the Big Sit, a yearly 90 day meditation challenge. What does it entail? Every day, try to meditate for 15-20 minutes. Read koans, literature on Zen and enrich your practice.
Would anyone be interested? It already started (3 weeks ago), but we can begin now, or at any point.
Here is a list of details, and this page will be regularly updated for anyone who wishes to participate.
The Big Sit Tricycle Introduction
(http://www.tricycle.com/-practice/the-big-sit?page=0%2C0)
The Value of a Vow (http://www.tricycle.com/-practice/the-value-a-vow)
Genjokoan (http://www.tricycle.com/-practice/genjokoan)
One of the cornerstones of traditional Zen training is the three-month practice period, which in Soto Zen is called ango, or “peaceful dwelling.” The idea of ango goes back to the earliest days of the monastic community in India, when monks and nuns would cease wandering and settle in one place for the rainy season. A Zen practice period, in a monastic setting, is a time of rigorous training, often under harsh physical conditions, with long hours for zazen (sitting meditation), short hours for sleep, formal meals taken in the zendo (meditation hall), and a structured schedule for the rest of the day comprising periods for work, liturgy, study, rest, and personal needs. In North America, this sort of strict and traditional training period is offered at such places as California’s Mount Baldy Zen Center and Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, but not very many others. Most Zen groups have adapted the form of the three-month practice period to the needs and demands of life in their communities.
Would anyone be interested? It already started (3 weeks ago), but we can begin now, or at any point.
Here is a list of details, and this page will be regularly updated for anyone who wishes to participate.
The Big Sit Tricycle Introduction
(http://www.tricycle.com/-practice/the-big-sit?page=0%2C0)
The Value of a Vow (http://www.tricycle.com/-practice/the-value-a-vow)
Genjokoan (http://www.tricycle.com/-practice/genjokoan)
One of the cornerstones of traditional Zen training is the three-month practice period, which in Soto Zen is called ango, or “peaceful dwelling.” The idea of ango goes back to the earliest days of the monastic community in India, when monks and nuns would cease wandering and settle in one place for the rainy season. A Zen practice period, in a monastic setting, is a time of rigorous training, often under harsh physical conditions, with long hours for zazen (sitting meditation), short hours for sleep, formal meals taken in the zendo (meditation hall), and a structured schedule for the rest of the day comprising periods for work, liturgy, study, rest, and personal needs. In North America, this sort of strict and traditional training period is offered at such places as California’s Mount Baldy Zen Center and Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, but not very many others. Most Zen groups have adapted the form of the three-month practice period to the needs and demands of life in their communities.