{"id":644,"date":"2009-04-28T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-04-28T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/treeleafzen\/2009\/04\/sitting-with.html"},"modified":"2009-04-28T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2009-04-28T11:00:00","slug":"sitting-with","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/treeleafzen\/2009\/04\/sitting-with.html","title":{"rendered":"‘Sitting With’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A member of our Sangha <\/i>posted this comment on our Forum …<\/p>\n

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I have only learned since (recently) beginning to study Zen [that one can sit with one’s problems]. Before, I had the notion that problems must be gotten rid of<\/span> in order to be happy. Now I am understanding that when I sit, I sit with<\/span> things, problems included. I will try to view my circumstances with gratefulness at having to learn these lessons.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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This is very important. <\/p>\n

Sitting with<\/span>our problems and negative emotions often removes much of the fuel whichfires them, for there is a vast difference between, for example, merelyobserving and experiencing and “being with”<\/span> our feelings of anger or sadness vs.<\/span> wallowing <\/span>in our anger and sadness, stoking them up<\/span>,fanning them and letting them take us over, obsess us and dominate ourthoughts. Let the waves of emotion just roll on through (even if theyfeel like they will crash over you sometimes, even sweep you away. Letthem roll on through like a passing wave on the sea). <\/p>\n

…This lets us observe dispassionately the aspects of our problems andemotions which are, in so many ways, but mind created theatre of ourown making… sometimes comedy<\/span>, sometimes drama<\/span>… passing clouds of thought, the changing weather of mood andcircumstance. In some important ways, our lives are like stories on thetv … and we can change the channel! \":D\" <\/p>\n

Inmany cases, doing so lets us replace the seeds of harmful emotions withpositive, healthful and helpful emotions … anger replaced with peaceand loving kindness, resistance made into acceptance, greed turned intocharity etc. etc. <\/p>\n

Now, that does not mean that sometimes wewill not still be taken over by greed, anger and ignorance … on somedays the anger and sadness will still get us.* (Even “Zen Masters” canfall into depression and such at times in life). We are human beings,not saints. Some days, we still need to vent, have a good cry. Somedays may actually need and deserve it! \":cry:\"But overall, we will not be prisoners of these thoughts and emotions,trapped by them and unable to see things a different way. <\/p>\n

Our Buddhist Practice allows us those other ways of seeing and living. <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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(remember: recording ends soon after the beginning bells;<\/u><\/div>\n
a sitting time of 20 to 35 minutes is recommended)<\/u><\/p>\n

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To subscribe to “Treeleaf Zen” click here.<\/a><\/o:p> <\/o:p><\/p>\n

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A member of our Sangha posted this comment on our Forum … I have only learned since (recently) beginning to study Zen [that one can sit with one’s problems]. Before, I had the notion that problems must be gotten rid of in order to be happy. Now I am understanding that when I sit, I…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":176,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,3,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-guided-meditation","category-meditation-techniques","category-zen-buddhist-meditation"],"yoast_head":"\n'Sitting With' - Treeleaf Zen<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/treeleafzen\/2009\/04\/sitting-with.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"'Sitting With' - Treeleaf Zen\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A member of our Sangha posted this comment on our Forum … I have only learned since (recently) beginning to study Zen [that one can sit with one’s problems]. 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