The Courage of Zazen

[Ishin]

Thank you for sharing this Yugen. It also takes courage to share what you did. Daizan, very well said. Such amazing sincere people here.
Gassho to all

C

[RichardH]

Hi Yugen. I have found a big difference between sitting alone in a kuti in the woods, without social stimulation, and sitting alone in the world, with many interactions and responsibilities. Alone in the woods is easy, attractive, but it also brings to mind the line from Hamlet."O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space". Sitting alone in the world is very different, and very hard, and although there is nowhere to slide back to, backsliding happens anyway. I need the ritual and shared effort. It makes no real difference whether it is bricks and mortar or online, it is all concrete enough. All the times of real transformation and deepening of practice have been times of deep Sangha involvement.

Gassho Daizan

This is wonderful Yugen ... I know for me when I have had a bad day, it is my zafu I seek. When tears need to come, I don't watch a sappy movie, but again seek the comfort of my zafu.

Sitting alone upon this ball of cotton has given me great courage as well, to sit with all of you.

Gassho
Shingen

[Shugen]

The books put it in the head, sitting with Sangha, puts it in the heart.


Shugen

[Kiki]

Thank you for sharing.

Deep bows,
Kia

Everything that you said, so true!!

gassho,
Treena

[Myosha]

Amen.


Gassho,
Edward

[Yugen]

I was at a full-day zazenkai yesterday and the dharma talk caused me to reflect:

There is the courage of the soldier, and the courage of the mother holding the child. There's the courage of the father and the farmer and doctor - the everyday courage of facing things.

There is the courage of zazen - and it takes a lot of courage - to still still and be alone with whatever comes up - watching it go by - and letting it go. There are times when I want to get up and run away screaming - but I sit in place. There re times when tears stream from my eyes - like yesterday - and I found the strength to sit.

The courage of zazen - it is there for us - sitting together throughout time and space. Thank you for practicing with us, with one another, with me. I used to be a solitary sitter - alone with my fears, delusions, and narrative. Now I sit with others - it is very powerful, and it encourages me to show up on days and at times when I would rather be distracted and hide in my fears.

I am only now discovering how powerful it is to sit in a Sangha - it enriches one's own practice and there are times when in turn we are really "there" for someone else who is struggling or having difficulty in practice or in life. When we take a vow to "end suffering" our act of zazen is a realization of that vow.

Deep bows
Yugen