Zen Self Development - Share and grow with Zen or any spiritual development.

Share and grow with Zen or any spiritual development.

Having been a Zen practitioner and therapist (30+ years), this network is for those passionate about all forms of spiritual development.

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how to practice zazen

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Derek left a comment for Mimpi

Thanks for dropping by. I thought that the NIng network had stopped providing this space, so I am surprised it is still here. I hope that you are keeping well also.. Love and light, Derek

Aug 27, 2010

Mimpi left a comment for Derek

How are you Derek. It's been a while we talked. Hope things are good with you. Have a great life! Mimpi

Aug 26, 2010

Mimpi updated their profile Aug 26, 2010

teodoro kirk is now a member of Zen Self Development Aug 13, 2010

Welcome Them!

how to practice zazen

Gudo Nishijima, an 80+ year old Japanese Zen teacher describes how to practice zazen.

Video posted by Martin Jul 12, 2010

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I wonder what is going on here in this group...

does it become a new target for spammers?

Discussion posted by Martin Jul 12, 2010

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Shunryu Suzuki Roshi

Shunryu Suzuki Roshi - Sandokai - Sound and Noise

Video posted by Martin May 17, 2010

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Martin replied to Martin's discussion 'reverse meditation?'

I agree with you, Derek. it is not necessarily calmness. I went back into the "uncomfortable" state and did some more practice rounds. It needed some time to come back to this forum. Only having an integrating viewpoint is much more useful…

May 17, 2010

Martin replied to Martin's discussion 'reverse meditation?'

btw. some good metaphors that helped me reorganizing came from Marshall B Rosenberg's great mind.

Apr 24, 2010

reverse meditation?

I made the interesting experience of becoming seriously ill (with terrible skin problems) and it seems I can observe consciously how it changes my mind when it leads me to a situation in which I do not consider that what Maslow called the needs. It also seems if you only focus the pain or itching because it is so strong that it attracts all the attention most of the time, it is easy to forget everything that you lived before. In the meanwhile I believe that it can drive you mad, when you expect…See More

Discussion posted by Martin Apr 24, 2010

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the experience of suffering pain almost every day and sleeping bad almost every night for some years seems to fade out the spiritual level

Status posted by Martin Apr 24, 2010

Am sorry for not being able to drop in as often as I should..it feels lovely coming here every time though...

Status posted by Mimpi Apr 3, 2010

Mimpi updated their profile photo Apr 3, 2010

Derek replied to Derek's discussion 'Introduce YourSelf Here'

Hi Sharon, Meditating with the eyes open is what is recommended in zazen. The eyes are lowered to a point in front of the meditator and remain fixed in that point so that the outer and inner world can be co-ordinated. The mind is then focused on…

Mar 17, 2010

charles pinkney updated their profile Mar 16, 2010

charles pinkney updated their profile photo Mar 16, 2010

Welcome Mat

From the Gift Store

charles pinkney gave a gift to sharon f Mar 15, 2010

Martin and sharon f are now friends Mar 15, 2010

feeling blessed...

Status posted by Mimpi Mar 14, 2010

sharon f and Derek are now friends Mar 14, 2010

Blog Posts

Phases

Things happen in phases. That's just how it is. Allow them to happen.

Ever beaten yourself up because you don't keep up everything at once? Let your website go out of date? Forgot to check your mailing list for a week? Didn't ring your friend for months, then spoke three times in a week, then another 3 months of silence? Let it go.

Its not about scrapping your To Do list. Its about not thinking you have to do all that stuff you were so keen on LAST year. It's THIS year… Continue

Posted by Drew Leslie on April 1, 2009 at 8:49am — 1 Comment

When Life Means Nothing. It just Is.

In my zazen (Zen meditation) this morning, my mind was not as still as I would have desired it to be, and I decided to let go of my discipline, go with the flow and just obeserve what was trying to emerge into consciousness, and I thought I would share it on my blogs....

During my life, I have wanted things and… Continue

Posted by Derek on January 18, 2009 at 10:33am — 1 Comment

Consciousness: Scary or not...

Ultimately, what is the purpose of knowing? What is the purpose of being conscious? I get to thinking of consciousness and how it is used. It seems that I am conscious in order to grow and develop knowledge, and the function of that knowledge is my survival. Otherwise, why accumulate knowledge? If I know more, I can know what to do to live my life on earth. I can survive.

These are pretty scary implications to think that the need for consciousness is just to survive on this earth.… Continue

Posted by Derek on December 21, 2008 at 9:39am — 6 Comments

Infinity

How can I be separated from Infinity? For if I was to be separate, then how could Infinity exist? That’s not possible for I can perceive it, even if it's simply to vast for me to reach it's endlessness.

So as I am part of Infinity, I simply to need to expand my consciousness to realise that infinity it exists in everything and everything exists in infinity. One of the most powerful paradoxes I know, or should I say "don't know"..

Posted by Derek on December 8, 2008 at 4:31pm

Everyday addictions

I don't blog. It arrogantly assumes I have something that the world needs to hear. And it's bad form to write derivatively from another source. So I'm going to break both my rules in one go.

I have a book which I return to again and again called "Handbook to Higher Consciousness" which brings out the subject of addiction. Not the coffee, cigarettes, or heroin type of addiction, but the addiction to everyday things: having lunch at 12.30, watching a programme on the TV, silence in the… Continue

Posted by Drew Leslie on November 28, 2008 at 10:41am — 2 Comments