Everyday Systems: nosdiet: message 1341 of 3212

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--- In , "Jennifer Dunbabin" 
<jenniferdunbabin@b...> wrote:
> dear deb-star
> 
> you do have a store of excellent and thought provoking knowledge.
> 
> I checked our library catalogue, and it isn't there :( checked the 

net and
> of course, there is lots of info, and I can buy it from amazon :) I 

just
> love the net.
> 
> the archer allowing the arrow to shot itself, the eater allowing 
the food to
> eat itself? a reorientation of thought - even for me who has 
investigated
> buddhism lots - but mostly mahayana. when I read how eugen learnt 

to shoot
> an arrow (in a book review) I found it challenging. particularly so 

from out
> fast, fast, faster society.
> 
> do you think it will work with food? the concept of allowing an 
arrow to
> shoot itself is accommodatable perhaps because it is external to 
oneself,
> and the mechanism is obvious and human involvement only potentiates 

that
> happening. mmmmm..... as I'm typing these thoughts I'm thinking, 
well, you
> could say that for food to. but not quite in the same way.
> 
> but, the idea it represents, that our relationship with food 
becomes so
> natural, and of its essence that we don't have to think about it, 

plan, etc,
> and worry and fight ...... that would be the ultimate everyday 
system for
> food. :)
> 
> massage ------ it is just the best. my belief is that if each 
person could
> have at least 1 massage a week (funded by the state, we have 
Medicare in
> Australia which covers (80%) the cost of lots of medical stuff) the
> population would be so much healthier and happier.
> 
> several years ago I went to a weekend workshop on massage for 
larger people.
> we got massaged lots as we were each other's practice bodies :) by 

the end
> of the weekend everyone looked so much better. my skin just glowed 

and my
> body felt limber and happy. you could see how the intensive massage 

had the
> blood flowing and had moved all the toxins. even more memorable was 

a lady
> who had started out the weekend very withdrawn and negative, and 
who had a
> crinkled, crunkled face with the frown lines and lips lines etc. it 

turned
> out to be a cathartic weekend for her as she processed some past 
abuse in
> this loving environment, plus all the massage and by the end of the 

weekend
> her face had opened up like a flower, many of the lines had gone, 

and her
> whole aspect had changed. it was wondrous and astonishing.
> 
> lots of love
> 
> jen
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Jennifer Dunbabin
> 69 Doyle Avenue, Lenah Valley, 7008
> 0414 632 537 : 03 6228 6675
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gratefuldeb67 [mailto:deborahfederlmt@h...]
> Sent: Sunday, September 05, 2004 7:47 AM
> To: 
> Subject: [nosdiet] to Jen again, on Mindfulness and Zen
> 
> 
> The teacher who pointed out the stomach pathway, and the energetic
> trajectory of the eating process
> Look, chew, think, swallow etc., was my absolute favorite at that
> school. His name is Tom Banasiak, and earned the nickname, "Zen 

Tom"
> among his students at Swedish Institute. As I mentioned before, 
I am
> a massage therapist, and being grounded and mindful are at the 
core
> of the work. Since you mentioned Zen Buddism, I thought I would
> encourage you to look at a great book by the German Philosipher 
Eugen
> Herrigel called "Zen in the art of Archery" you may really enjoy 

it,
> I did : ) It's an eastern philosophy classic, and can be read in 
one
> or two sittings.
> I think once we adopt these new learned eating behaviours on a
> regular basis, it will be like a state of Zen...Just repetition 
and
> sticking to it...
> Eventually we wont be able to differentiate between whether we
> are "Hitting the target or if the target is hitting us"
> Are we eating the food or is the food eating us? LOL : )
> Deb
> Hi Jen,
I really love that Deb Star thing
It's like Darkstar from the Dead :)
Anyway...
My understanding of Zen is that it's a spiritual and physical state 
of equanimity achieved through ritualized practice of everyday 
activities...One other popular activity, which I'm sure you will 
appreciate, is Flower arrangement...
In Japan people practice this as one of the Zen arts.
The idea is that through repetition, of the same actions, and 
eventually mastery of that activity, in day to day actions, and we 
are talking about years here not just a few classes, one may achieve 
a state of being which is now so completely automatic
No thought, no trying, just "being" in harmony with the object that 

it is no longer possible to separate ones person, from the inanimate 
object and the action at hand...One no longer is hitting the target
(doing) the target is now one and the same with the archer, and there 
is no telling who or what is causing the outcome of hitting the 
target.
There is a scene in the excellent movie,Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon 
where a woman is trying to find out if she is sitting in the presence 
of a thief. They are drinking tea and being Asian, she doesn't want 
the girl in question to "lose face" infront of her relatives also at 

this tea ceremony.
Because of the nature of the crime it is clear that the unknown thief 
must have been trained at a special warrior school.
To verify her suspicion, she pushes a teacup in the direction of the 
suspect and off of the table.
Without hesitation, without thinking, in a split seconds time, the 
thief reacts and catches the cup before it hits the floor. Very cool.
This is Zen..No thinking just action...Rigorous practice is how one 
achieves this...I believe that it applies to our eating patterns too.
Catchalater
Debbie :)
> 
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