Everyone has to listen!
Posted in ashtanga yoga, zen on 05/05/2009 04:33 pm by karenYup, it’s a requirement: go listen to this.
Hardcore teachings, yes. And hardcore speaking!
So. The three trainings: morality, concentration, wisdom.
Oh, I get it: 1) yamas and niyamas, 2) pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, 3) samadhi. Nice.
I love drawing these parallels; they amuse me. Hey, where’s asana and pranayama? I suppose you could make an argument for them as concentration practices.
This reminds me that I came to yoga via zen. I grew very curious about posture. How could I hurt so much when I was just sitting zazen? I was a healthy person, in good shape. Why was sitting kicking my butt? Were there “secrets” to sitting comfortably? Could my posture make me less sleepy (nemesis of my zazen: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)?
Finally I asked Sokai. He directed me to the Indians. Said they had the inside scoop on the physical body.
So I went. I loved the way yoga felt. I was hooked.
And now here I am, contemplating yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi. Before, I had precepts and zazen. Now I have precepts, zazen, and so much more.
05/05/2009 at 7:16 pm
!!!
Kind of an open question of whether samadhi is an insight practice…
05/05/2009 at 7:21 pm
In the same vein, in Feb. Ingram et al. discuss the difference between “doing it” and “getting it done” when it comes to insight practice. Link to the audio at the bottom of this post.
http://www.vincenthorn.com/2009/02/25/heavy-hitting-dharma-discussions/
05/05/2009 at 7:25 pm
Oooh, thanks!
You know, the fun thing was adding the gerunds: lots of “hearing,” “hearing,” “hearing”… and some that surprised me: “speculating,” “fearing,” “hey, wait a minute, I musta been thinking!” — stuff like that.
At work today, amid drama: “Reacting.” That one made me laugh!
05/05/2009 at 8:12 pm
Oh, that’s funny….
It’s great, eh? I just realized today (while driving, oddly) that my simple bodyscan practice, which is a kind of Vipassana, is way more accurate and subtle now than it was when I first practiced it on retreat 4 years ago. I never expected that something so straightforward and simple could change that much (albeit gradually) over time.
05/06/2009 at 1:56 am
Thanks, Karen. This is a very cool interview.
05/06/2009 at 6:13 am
hi Karen
i came to Zen through yoga. heh. i love my zafu and zafuton, which i labored to drag over here.
hugs
Arturo