Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with zen

Zafu shopping in Toronto

mendel — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:56:47 -0800

I'd like to get a zafu and zabuton^[?] for meditation, but I'd like to actually sit on a couple to find out what I find comfortable. Where can I try out and buy a zafu and zabuton, in person, in or near Toronto?

zen and the art of hiding my fat butt

Kellydamnit — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:35:51 -0800

What should I wear to meditation? So, here's my dilemma. I have very few articles of clothing suited to meditate in. (in a formal group setting. I wear PJs at home). I'm almost always in skirts or dresses (hard to kill the inner goth), and own like three pairs of pants. I tend to feel grotesquely uncomfortable in pants as it is, mostly because I'm overweight and I feel like they draw a lot of attention to my worst areas. But, I want to be unable to sit or do the prostrations without, you know, flashing people.

So would it be oddball to wear, say, fitted yoga pants and make a knee-length skirt of similar material over it? I figure that way I won't spend my hour sitting there thinking about how uncomfortable I am and how fat my thighs are. But I don't want to look like I just got off the bus from crazytown, either.

It isn't about wanting to look cute or whatever. Most of the people in the group are a good chunk older than me, and it's not all perfect yoga bodies. I just want to be able to sit down in a half lotus without my own body issues messing with me.

Any other suggestions for what a chubby hourglass shaped gal can wear to meditate?

Learning to love solitude

Anonymous — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:34:24 -0800

How do I learn to enjoy being alone after a recent separation? My husband - of nearly ten years - and I recently separated (his idea, though it was needed). He moved in with his parents two months ago, and I'm living alone in our big, empty house while we try to sort things out. We have no children, and still speak/see each other on a regular basis.

I've never lived alone. I jumped from my parents' home to roommates to living with my husband almost immediately after we first started dating. I've been in constant relationships since I was 16 (now in my early 30s).

I'm dealing with some ugly grief and despair from the separation, but I'd like to take this time to learn how to comfortably be alone. I'm not a needy person by any means - I enjoy time alone, and while I have a lot of friends, I tend to go long stretches where I spend weekends curled up with a book. However, I've always done these things in the context of another person being around. Introvertism is a different animal when you're truly by yourself!

I keep myself busy during the day (I love my job). I see friends. I have animals and a therapist. I exercise and eat well. But I find myself panicking when I don't have plans and the long, long night stretches out before me. I watch TV; I read; I clean; I plan projects; I meditate, but I can't shake the despair of - oh, God, I'm going to be agonizingly alone forever. I start to make bad decisions, like calling my husband for comfort. (Which he doesn't take well.) I cry, a lot. A lot.

Does this go away? The existential despair? What do you do on those planless nights? How do I convince my mate-for-life brain that being by myself doesn't have to be terrifying? Though there's a possibility my husband and I will get back together, I need to proceed as if that isn't the case. (Cutting off contact will be the first big step, but I'm not ready for that yet. Working on it.) How do I shift into a single mindset? (I'm not even close to wanting to date or even have a fling.)

If it matters, I do have a long, long history of anxiety/depression (hospitals, therapists galore, you name it). However, I finally got a handle on that in the last few years and have been better than ever this year. But stress will trot out the old, panicky thought patterns.

(Also of note: while I love my job, it doesn't pay much and requires me be in the area until the end of the year, so I don't have funds/means to travel at the moment.)

Thanks for any advice you have. If you have questions, you can e-mail me at mefilearning2008@gmail.com

How does somebody become a Zen Master?

TigerCrane — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:44:24 -0800

What is the certification process for a "Zen Master" and a Zen "Priest"? I understand that a Zen Master is different from a Zen priest, right?

How does somebody attain these titles?

Does a priest go to a Zen seminary? Is it an academic degree like a rabbinate? Are Zen priests professional clergy, or do they generally hold day jobs?

Does the title of Zen Master mean that the holder of the title is Enlightened? Who confers the title?

Zen and the art of Zen

Roman Graves — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:40:15 -0800

Help me continue my Zen education. I recently finished Hardcore Zen and it really struck a nerve in ways that other books on the topic have not. I'm looking for suggestions on continued reading. I noticed the "If you liked Hardcore Zen..." section in the back of the book, but I wasn't sure if any of those were worth anything or just a publisher's list.

Least incensiest incense ever?

sneakin — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 13:09:41 -0800

What's that incense I've smelled at Zen centers and where can I find it? When I've been in Korean Zen centers or meditation areas used by Zen practitioners, there's been incense on the altar that has a very subtle aroma. It's not terribly fragrant or remotely perfume-y. It's extremely mild. They're usually shorter sticks than your regular incense and I think they might be a Japanese brand.

I've googled around and found different kinds associated with meditation but I want to be sure I'm getting something not so aromatic that's it's distracting before I bite the bullet and buy. Brands, names, and links are awesome and appreciated. Thank you!

Should you judge a religious community based on its leader?

desjardins — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:52:43 -0800

How can you trust a temple/church/etc if its leader has had moral failings? I've been a (barely-practicing) Buddhist for a few years now, and I'm getting my ass in gear and looking for a sangha (community/congregation). This place is the closest to me, and their tradition (Soto Zen) is in line with my beliefs. However, the roshi (teacher/priest) was trained by Taizan Maezumi Roshi, who founded the Zen Center of Los Angeles. Maezumi endured considerable controversy after he went into rehab for alcoholism (drinking is verboten in Buddhism) and admitted to affairs with students (besides abusing his authority, he was also married). He ended up drinking himself to death. Lineage is an important concept in Buddhism, as knowledge is handed down from teacher to student. I'm not casting any aspersions on the roshi at Great Plains Zen Center, or on any of its members, but the whole thing just leaves a weird taste in my mouth. Other Zen centers in the West have been plagued by similar scandal and I'm wondering if any have gone untouched.

I am not claiming to be any sort of saint myself - previous posts are evidence of that - but I do like to think that someone who is teaching me holds themselves to a higher standard than I do myself. And hopefully has better grammar skills.

Given that I do want to find a community with which to practice, should I give up the notion of moral standards in religious leadership? If so, how do I make this mental shift?

Defining the Japanese Concept of 'Ma'

0bvious — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 07:36:20 -0800

What do you know about the Japanese word/concept of 'Ma'? I know it denotes the negative space between objects and it relates closely to the similarly used Japanese word 'Mu'. Since there is no Wikipedia entry for 'Ma' I have started it myself. Feel free to add to it. I will eventually compile any information I find and add it to the page. I would ideally love to find the Kanji for the word and any references defining it (whether on the internet or in books etc).

Thanks

Wanted: One AC adapter

punishinglemur — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:34:07 -0800

I recently lost the power adapter for my olde tyme Creative Nomad Zen NX. I'd like to just drive down to RadioShack and get a replacement, but I'm not sure what I need. The Nomad wants 5V, but it looks like RadioShack's adapters skip from 4.5V to 6V. Will I kill my player if I use one of those options?

a few creative zen vision:m questions

illegiblemess — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 07:12:45 -0800

i am looking for a new mp3 player, have narrowed it down to the ipod vs creative zen vision:m, but i have a few specific questions about the creative zen first I don't really have any ipod questions because my boyfriend has one that i can test out. that said, my creative zen quesitons are:

1. random - i know there is an "album of the day" and a "random all" feature, but can you do random within an album, or within the on the go playlist you create, or anything else?

2. camera image transfer - the 60GB version lets you directly transfer images from your camera to it, which is a big selling point, but they only list a few cameras on their website that they tested with. has anyone used this feature with the canon rebel xti?

thanks for your help!

These go to eleven...

disillusioned — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 23:13:32 -0800

Does listening to an MP3 player at a higher volume significantly increase the rate at which its battery drains? I suppose there are two (elementary) ways of thinking about this: A basic volume dial is a potentiometer—the signal is at full strength from its source, and you're merely adding resistance when you "turn it down."

But, I have no idea how the volume controls on either say, an ipod or my Creative Zen Vision work, given that it is accessed digitally. For these players, is it altering the strength of the output signal at the point where it is being generated? Or is it a digital control to an analog potentiometer? (I also know little about the nature of a simple stereo signal itself...)

Even if it were, would the difference in battery life be at all significant? (Would I be able to eek another 20 minutes out of my player by turning it on its lowest volume and using my car's amp to push it out at a "reasonable volume"?)

Much obliged!

non-zen zen-ness: oh heck

soviet sleepover — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:44:17 -0800

I just got a new Creative Zen Nano Plus 1gb mp3 player as a surprise gift from a friend. The trick is that I'm a Mac user, and by all official accounts the two are incompatible. Help, please. No amount of googling seems to turn up info on hacks/workarounds that make it Mac-compatible, though I did find a mention (as part of a review on amazon.com) of someone using the 512mb player with iTunes on a Mac. When I connect this one to my computer neither one recognizes the other. I'm not exceptionally tech-savvy so I wonder if there's something crucial I'm missing.

Forever and now in ink on skin

Kickstart70 — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 00:10:57 -0800

Tattoo planning: I'm looking for related symbols (by meaning, not appearance) of the lemniscate, enso, ouroboros, and apparently whatever the symbol between the buddha's eyes is called. Apparently they've got somewhat related meanings...the infinite, oneness of everything, etc. What other symbols are there?

If it helps with suggestions, I'm looking for something that brings in my love of the concept of infinity, the changes in my mind that accompanied learning about Zen buddhism, and my extreme computer-geek nature.

How do I choose a Zen variety?

Anonymous — Sat, 22 Oct 2005 23:04:53 -0800

I want to learn about Zen. How do I choose a Zen variety? There are two Zen centers in this town, one Kwan Um (Seung Sah), the other Soto (Kaisen). Also, there's a Diamond Way Buddhism Center (Karma Kagyu), though I guess that's not Zen. (But for all I know, it is. As I said, I want to learn about Zen; I didn't say I know anything about it now.)

So if I want practical experience, it's going to have to be one of the above, but if you've got anything to say about other varieties, I'd be glad to hear it. The only people I run into around here who know anything about Zen are practitioners at one of the centers, and they are of course biased for their centers.

crackle buzz buzz

jennyjenny — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 13:22:51 -0800

Is there a way to fix a crackly-headphones problem that I always always have with walkmen and mp3 players? I have a creative zen micro mp3 player. If I jostle or jiggle the part where the headphone cord plugs in to the device, half the sound cuts out. I replaced the headphones twice and have the same problem, so I'm pretty sure the problem is with the player. Is there any way to fix this? I've had the same problem with walkmen, but I always assumed it was a headphone issue. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Meaning of 'moment of zen'?

chrismear — Fri, 22 Jul 2005 16:45:07 -0800

What is a 'moment of (something) zen'? I keep seeing this (on blogs in particular) and I don't know what it means. I must have missed the memo. On BoingBoing, Xeni Jardin seems to use it on practically every other post, but there are plenty of other examples. From the context, it usually just seems to mean 'a neat thing that happened' or 'a neat thing that I found'.

Is that really all it is? Is it actually anything to do with Zen? I've only ever seen it on the internets -- is it from somewhere else? It's really bugging me...