Zen at the UU church

[Riders]

I like theyre sittings. However though they do sit in a chair they do use the right position to sit in. However theres no dharma classes, no rituals, its Zen without any tradition or ritual or Buddha.I like true Zen sittings better. My guyfriend from UU on the phone told me that Zen is just focusing on breathing which is true its focusing on your breathing, and I don't need more then 10 minutes a day and the center Ive gone to is full of BS because they've got all these different kinds of meditation classes and they go through the rituals and all so.
Any comments or opinions?

 

[crossfire]

Have A Cup of Tea, Riders.

 

[Riders]

Thankyou!
I love sipping tea with a Zen group!

 

[Twilight Hue]

I like theyre sittings. However though they do sit in a chair they do use the right position to sit in. However theres no dharma classes, no rituals, its Zen without any tradition or ritual or Buddha.I like true Zen sittings better. My guyfriend from UU on the phone told me that Zen is just focusing on breathing which is true its focusing on your breathing, and I don't need more then 10 minutes a day and the center Ive gone to is full of BS because they've got all these different kinds of meditation classes and they go through the rituals and all so.
Any comments or opinions?

Breathing, aka counting breaths is done to help develop focus. Eventually it's not nessessary as you gain enough proficiency by which one can eventually sit without requiring counting breaths. In turn it becomes focusless thus "Just sitting".

Typically facing a wall or facing the floor with eyes slightly open cast downward to help minimise distraction.

There is ritual and dharma talks in a formal setting as well as protracted events like sesshin which can span the course of a week. Most meditations tend to be an hour or so, broken up with walking meditation called kinhin.

Ten minutes seems a bit short, but still practible for maintaing a disipline for a daily routine. It can be telling of one's own progress!

 

[Riders]

Yes and at my old place I use to go to when we walked we folded our arms up in a particular way and walked with a slow pace.We also had tea service sometimes afterwards.

 

[Windwalker]

Thankyou!
I love sipping tea with a Zen group!

I think what she was saying is in relation to the full cup of tea from this story,

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.
Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring.
The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will go in!"
"Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"
​

As far as you don't need more than 10 minutes of meditation a day, and the rituals and whatnot are just "BS", well, that sounds like that person's cup is full. They already have the answers. They have no need of a teacher, no need to do any work. Just buy Buddha in a Box for $13.99 in the checkout lane of your local Walmart store. It comes with a cool little Zen garden with a rake and tiny pebbles that takes less the 5 minutes of playing with to find true serenity.

Here's another clever story like the teacup story above.

A devoted meditator, after years concentrating on a particular mantra, had attained enough insight to begin teaching. The student's humility was far from perfect, but the teachers at the monastery were not worried. A few years of successful teaching left the meditator with no thoughts about learning from anyone; but upon hearing about a famous hermit living nearby, the opportunity was too exciting to be passed up.

The hermit lived alone on an island at the middle of a lake, so the meditator hired a man with a boat to row across to the island. The meditator was very respectful of the old hermit. As they shared some tea made with herbs the meditator asked him about his spiritual practice. The old man said he had no spiritual practice, except for a mantra which he repeated all the time to himself. The meditator was pleased: the hermit was using the same mantra he used himself -- but when the hermit spoke the mantra aloud, the meditator was horrified!

"What's wrong?" asked the hermit.

"I don't know what to say. I'm afraid you've wasted your whole life! You are pronouncing the mantra incorrectly!"

"Oh, Dear! That is terrible. How should I say it?"

The meditator gave the correct pronunciation, and the old hermit was very grateful, asking to be left alone so he could get started right away. On the way back across the lake the meditator, now confirmed as an accomplished teacher, was pondering the sad fate of the hermit.

"It's so fortunate that I came along. At least he will have a little time to practice correctly before he dies." Just then, the meditator noticed that the boatman was looking quite shocked, and turned to see the hermit standing respectfully on the water, next to the boat.

"Excuse me, please. I hate to bother you, but I've forgotten the correct pronunciation again. Would you please repeat it for me?"

"You obviously don't need it," stammered the meditator; but the old man persisted in his polite request until the meditator relented and told him again the way he thought the mantra should be pronounced.

The old hermit was saying the mantra very carefully, slowly, over and over, as he walked across the surface of the water back to the island.​