24.3.09

Zen is Stupid

Listened to the Zen is stupid “Zentenial” podcast this morning on the way to work.
The premise of the podcast was that if you weren’t doing meditation you weren’t “Zen.”

Patrick told the listeners to sit for 20 minutes while he and Gwen chatted in the background.

Interesting how my comparing, aversive mind went to work on that.
“Nobody is “Zen” it is an action!”
“Listen idiots, I do more sitting before 0600 than most people do in a day.”
Why the F#(% are you talking while people are supposed to be meditating”

Anger
Aversion
Spiritual Pride & Superiority

OK it only took a little bit before I laughed at myself but the initial reaction tells me I still have a lot of work to do.

Oh, and this is supposed to show up in my blogroll MonkMojo's 1000 Cuts but doesn't seem to want to play. If your not following Monk Mojo, your missing out!

10 comments:

Barry said...

I also experience strong attachment to my ideas about Zen, meditation, and correct form (see today's post on Ox Herding). The natural outcome of this attachment - in my experience - is anger. If I'm serious about quelling my anger, then I've got to examine my attachments.

Thanks for this honest post.

Uku said...

Hope you're feeling better, Jordan! Zen is stupid, that's for sure!

Thank you for sharing, Dharmabro!

Anonymous said...

I thought it was funny.

I could easily imagine myself bringing a Zazen mixtape to a sangha - 20 minutes of silence broken only by some Prodigy and Floyd and about 10 more minutes of not-silence.

SlowZen said...

Barry, I read that post. your knee is an attachment you should certainly take care of.

Uku, Thanks as always for your comments!

Mike H, You have an interesting imagination.

MyoChi said...

What an honest post, Jordan! Isn't it amazing how quickly the "I" appears given the conditions. I have been in place where I thought that I have understood and then boom!, reality check - have a long way to go! Thanks for the post. It inspires all of us to sit.

SlowZen said...

MyoChi,

Happy to inspire, Thanks for the inspiring comments!

Unknown said...

"...it only took a little bit before I laughed at myself but the initial reaction tells me I still have a lot of work to do."

We're laughing with you brother! It gets to be pretty funny how often I get caught by my views and ideas.

For some reason this re minds me of Aitken Roshi's comment that as long you notice you are caught by delusion and keep coming back to the present, you are on the path. Just keep coming back. I find this so encouraging.

SlowZen said...

Will,
Thanks for sharing the comment from Aitken Roshi, yes that certainly fits the situation.

Patrick said...

Glad the episode pushed some buttons, that's what we were going for.

All too often we get stuck in our meditation patterns and what should be a challenging uncomfortable space becomes a Self-satisfying warm fuzzy haze.

Cool blog.

SlowZen said...

Hey Patrick, That is exactly what I will be going for when I sneak up behind you and give you an atomic wedgie!

Gad your enjoying the blog and thanks for your efforts on the podcast and elsewhere.

Thanks for looking!