Kunlun level 1 vs. sitting meditation

[Cheshire Cat]

In your experience, which one is to be considered as the most effective position for practicing "sitting and forgetting" ?

 

While in zhang zhuang, the meditation is better, but I cannot hold for long sessions... kunlun 1 looks like a more physically sustainable practice of zhang zhuang... Opinions? Experience? Thank you :-)

[joeblast]

curious if you are conflating zhan zhuang with zuowang

[thelerner]

In your experience, which one is to be considered as the most effective position for practicing "sitting and forgetting" ?

 

While in zhang zhuang, the meditation is better, but I cannot hold for long sessions... kunlun 1 looks like a more physically sustainable practice of zhang zhuang... Opinions? Experience? Thank you :-)

curious if you are conflating zhan zhuang with zuowang

I consider zhan zhauang to be standing meditation and zuowang to be seated emptiness meditation, and kunlun to be a chair seated meditation w/ hands (& feet) in a mudra.

 

For sitting and forgetting I prefer to sit in half lotus (I can't do full comfortably) give myself some instructions to clear my mind, then just sit. After kunlun there's an after practice period where you do relatively the same. In formal kunlun 1 position my body may rock but I'm not in a deep meditative state. In Zhan Zhang, I get peaceful, but again not as deep as I get in half lotus. This is my experience others will differ.

 

To throw another practice into the mix, in Stillness-Movement meditation is similar to regular emptiness but hands on on dantien and a slight natural rocking is allowed. The rocking releases tension and allows me to sit longer.

[Cheshire Cat]

I consider meditation to be a "all body experience" and not just an altered state of counsciouness.

While you still the mind, qi is cultivated.

While you cultivate qi, stillness is cultivated.

If one cultivates a still mind without transforming the body... well, it is not a daoist idea.

In buddhist term, this would be practicing vipassana wiyhout samatha.

 

So, no wonder if I consider positions as "enhancement" and not the meditation itself.

[Aetherous]

This one works...

 

 

Hands on the knees works. If you want to build strong qi while you meditate, stillness movement may be good.

 

If you want to do alchemy and kunlun, that works. All of these have a different feel, and different effect.

 

For sitting and forgetting, ideally the position would be of little consequence...because you're supposed to be forgetting about it. I hope that doesn't sound too unhelpful.

[Cheshire Cat]

I hope that doesn't sound too unhelpful.

 

To help you with this, I will take that image of the Zen monk as my new avatar on this forum

[Mokona]

1. Doesn't kunlun level one start with holding your hands up while sitting? I'd see that as uncomfortable, meditation while in physical pain or discomfort is largely a waste of time, as chi especially won't travel through stiff and tight muscles(or just to say it is much more difficult ESPECIALLY at the beginning). I'd suggest any comfortable sitting position that keeps your back straight.
   

 

My Zazen is going great by following those rules, so I can only speak from that viewpoint - i'm not attempting to negate anything anyone else may have said. Good luck.

Edited September 20, 2012 by Mokona