XPost: talk.religion.buddhism, alt.zen, alt.philosophy.zen   
   XPost: alt.buddha.short.fat.guy   
   From: evelyn.ruut@gmail.com   
      
   "halfawake"  wrote in message   
   news:i4dfus$p8g$4@news.eternal-september.org...   
   > Evelyn wrote:   
   >   
   >>   
   >> "halfawake"  wrote in message   
   >> news:i4c3br$huf$1@news.eternal-september.org...   
   >>   
   >>> Evelyn wrote:   
      
   >>>>   
   >>>> One doesn't need to do thousands of prostrations either.   
   >>>>   
   >>>   
   >>> well it's funny - I never practiced more than basic Tibetan meditation,   
   >>> other than my reading which influenced me quite a bit, but I had a   
   >>> really emotional reaction to some of my friends in Boston years ago   
   >>> doing the prostrations.  I think partially coming from a Jewish   
   >>> background, the idea of bowing down to anyone is just anathema.  But   
   >>> over time I got a better appreciation of it and tried it on for size   
   >>> privately just for myself, and there was a feeling of letting go and   
   >>> invoking the spiritual self that it engendered that I thought was quite   
   >>> good.  The teachers emphasize that you are not prostrating yourself to   
   >>> any living beings, even Buddha for that matter, but just letting go of   
   >>> self.   
   >>>   
   >>> Best,   
   >>> Robert   
   >>>   
   >>> = = = = = = =   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>   
   >> That is true.   There is also the aspect that doing something so physical   
   >> is a kind of practice that balances out all the sitting, which isn't good   
   >> for ones health.    So walking meditation and prostrations do have some   
   >> serious real value (other than spiritual) in a practice.    For people   
   >> who are unable to do the full prostrations, you can do them mentally too.   
   >> It is all about letting go of the self, as you mentioned.   
   >>   
   >   
   > Good notes; for me too physicality - in my case yoga and running - is very   
   > important.   
   >   
   > Robert   
   >   
   > = = = = = =   
      
      
   In my case, I walk.   Unable to do the running thing, anymore.   But walking   
   meditation on a nice local walking/biking trail is great.   
      
   --   
   Best Regards,   
   Evelyn   
      
   In the stony fastness of the mountains there is a strange market, where one   
   may barter the vortex of life for boundless bliss.  - Milarepa   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)