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Post by mr potatohead on Nov 6, 2017 20:21:44 GMT
This forum was previously called, "Zen In The Art".
I'm curious, what do the members of this forum, with an opinion of it, believe is "Zen"?
Does Zen influence your exercise habits in any way and, if so, how?
Thanks.
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TexasRanger
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Post by TexasRanger on Nov 6, 2017 20:54:02 GMT
This forum was previously called, "Zen In The Art". I'm curious, what do the members of this forum, with an opinion of it, believe is "Zen"? Does Zen influence your exercise habits in any way and, if so, how? Thanks. Zen is one practice in the path of obtaining Buddhism, which, because of what Buddha originally taught, is something anyone can attain. There are a variety of Zen practices; in one extreme case, Japan's form of Zen Buddhism was used to justify their attempted conquest of the Pacific and genocide in Korea and China. There is also the belief that Mahayana (sp?) Buddhism + Taoism = Zen in some writings. Bottom line my friends, not a whole lot. I'm too busy using the lord's name in vain and cussing like a sailor to get that last rep out while Uncle Ted's blasting away to be worrying about Zen...  |
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Mr Average
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Post by Mr Average on Nov 6, 2017 21:08:12 GMT
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Bob50
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Post by Bob50 on Nov 6, 2017 21:33:21 GMT
If seriously, Zen means understanding our true self. What am I? It is suggested that if someone finds the one pure and clear thing (the real I), he/she will have freedom of the mind from life and death. Zen shows one of directions how to reach this mind condition.
“Does Zen influence your exercise habits in any way and, if so, how?”
Good question! Put this question down as well your opinion, your condition, and your situation. When we put all down, our mind is clear like a mirror. Everything is reflected in it. Then we can see, hear, smell, taste and feel clearly. Moment to moment we just should do what we do. I think now is clear that Zen is condition of deep concentration on current process without any distraction. Of course, it will positively influence our performance everywhere, including our training.
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Post by Bruce Tackett on Nov 6, 2017 22:01:26 GMT
mikeytoes............ The forum was named Zen because it tied in with my website Zen in the Art of Self-Resistance. I named it that because I thought it was really cool and badass.  Actually, I had read Zen in the Art of Archery which I thought was way cool - the ability of the Zen Master to put an arrow where it should go without attempting to do so - pointing at the moon and then chastising students who placed emphasis on his pointing finger rather than on the moon. I have had two Zen experiences in my life. Once when I went out to an archery range and everything just fell into place. I just couldn't miss. I barely had to aim, the arrow just went where I wanted it to. The other time was when I was shooting pool. I simply could not miss. It was effortless. I controlled that table and I held it all night until I decided it was time to go home. I deliberately put the eight ball in one pocket and the cue ball in the other. I was never able to shoot my bow or play pool like that again. I had originally named my site and forum "The Office Body Building Workout", because these were exercises that could be performed in an office, which is where I did them. But then, while doing my SR exercises, I realized that by not placing any thought on the resisting arm, but only on the arm that is being worked, the resisting arm became as a dead weight, channeling a lot of resistance - making it happen without attempting to do so. I thought that was very Zen-like. |
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TexasRanger
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Post by TexasRanger on Nov 6, 2017 23:08:28 GMT
Oh, I read Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance years ago -- early 20s. Just happened to be taking a few days off while driving the backroads along the northern end of North Dakota, Montana over to the east side of the Rockies for a few days of camping and trail running. Brought my copy along which I'd read in the evenings. Don't know if this counts... Related to Bruce's post, there was a point when I was in a road race -- I was doing great with my diet, training had been going incredibly well -- and I have to say as Barry Sears wrote in his first book, I felt like I'd entered the "Zone". I was cruising, not struggling, etc., and won that particular race in a PR I never thought I'd ever see. Was it Zen? Dunno, but, once I found that combo of diet/distance/rest I was able to hit a couple of more PRs at other distances before over training, beer & pizza, etc., caught up. The author Charles Garfield discussed this phenomenon in his book Peak Performance as did Dr. George Sheehan in his very Zen-like book, Running and Being...  |
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Bob50
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Post by Bob50 on Nov 7, 2017 1:36:32 GMT
........ Zen is a way of action; therefore, it was popular in the samurai society. |
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TexasRanger
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Post by TexasRanger on Nov 7, 2017 3:24:26 GMT
........ Zen is a way of action; therefore, it was popular in the samurai society. Zen is not a "way of action": www.lionsroar.com/what-is-zen-buddhism-and-how-do-you-practice-it/The Japanese were a multi-religious society, with Shintoism, which established the legacy of the emperors, and Zen Buddhism competing for national dominance. Zen Buddhist practices didn't find their way to Japan until the 5th or 6th centuries, and Confucianism was also a part of the society. By the time the 1900s rolled around, Zen Buddhism in Japan had incorporated some of Shinto beliefs and vice versa. But, as the late author Christopher Hitchens noted, the Zen Buddhists of Japan were no doubt violent and a genocidal group. Burma (now named Myanmar) is also a Zen Buddhist society (can't remember which sect) and the senior monks have implemented a nationalist movement since the 90s. Zen was a path to personal Buddhism until various sects and factions started to exert their struggles to be "the" religious power in the practice of Buddhism. Siddhartha, who was an Indian prince, began long before Jesus has path to enlightment by facing tempation from an evil entity. Siddharta taken on another name at this point, leaving behind his royalty, and after proving the path to personal salvation or virtue was strong than evil, he became Buddha. Herman Hesse wrote a fictional, but fairly accurate novel-version of Siddharta's story...very short, intense. Read this in comparative religion and it held up to history fairly well. (I can't remember if Hesse included Siddharta's/Buddha's travels from Nepal, where he was born.) |
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Bob50
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Post by Bob50 on Nov 7, 2017 3:51:41 GMT
I mean "action" is "just do it". That is put down your opinions, determinations, estimations, judgments. Just see, hear, feel, taste, touch, move with maximal attention, absorb the external and internal without distraction. Then everything is already yours. If we are attached to speech, words, wishes ...that is already a big mistake.
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TexasRanger
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Post by TexasRanger on Nov 7, 2017 4:21:16 GMT
I mean "action" is "just do it". That is put down your opinions, determinations, estimations, judgments. Just see, hear, feel, taste, touch, move with maximal attention, absorb the external and internal without distraction. Then everything is already yours. If we are attached to speech, words, wishes ...that is already a big mistake. That is what Siddharta taught as Buddha in the Dharma, hence Buddhism. |
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dura
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Post by dura on Nov 7, 2017 13:15:05 GMT
I think Zen is another name for dynamic isometrics. The riddle is the unity of the seemingly incompatible notions.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2017 13:19:37 GMT
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Post by Bruce Tackett on Nov 7, 2017 14:02:14 GMT
I think Zen is another name for dynamic isometrics. The riddle is the unity of the seemingly incompatible notions.  |
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TexasRanger
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Post by TexasRanger on Nov 7, 2017 14:14:50 GMT
For some reason, this YouTube by Watts caught my eye and all I could think of was John e Peterson's constant barrage of posts on this topic. |
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Post by mr potatohead on Nov 7, 2017 15:06:52 GMT
I listened to a couple Alan Watts lectures last nite. Very interesting stuff.
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