[Buddha-l] The Body in Buddhist Practice

[Erik Hoogcarspel]

Jim Peavler schreef:

>
> On Sep 15, 2006, at 12:52 PM, Erik Hoogcarspel wrote:
>
>> . My first impression is that the body plays primarely a symbolic  
>> part in Buddhism. Especially in Zenbuddhism, where the position of  
>> the body is a symbol of the quality of the meditation. In Theravada  
>> the body is simply considered a nuisance because it hinders  
>> meditation, ...
>
>
> My own training (admittedly Zen) suggests that the body is much more  
> than symbolic -- it practically IS meditation. There is no question  
> that the posture is often mentioned in symbolic ways, but I think it  
> is also true that there is hardly any other way to sit that is so  
> conducive to easy breathing and staying in one relaxed position for a  
> long period of time. And the body is a full participant in any  
> meditation I have ever been taught and it is what meditates. If Zazen  
> is the practice, then the body is the instrument and the mind the  
> observer.  Or so it seems to me.
>
You show very clearly how ambiguous the function and meaning of the body 
is in Zen. First you write that the body IS meditation (which sounds 
great, but raises a lot of ontological questions) and subsequently you 
write that the body is merely the INSTRUMENT of meditation.

-- 

Erik


www.xs4all.nl/~jehms
weblog http://www.volkskrantblog.nl/pub/blogs/blog.php?uid=2950