Zazen

With palms together,


Good Morning Everyone,



Last night before evening practice period, I opened all of the windows and shut off the air conditioning system. Suki enjoyed barking at every passerby and soon enough she required the blinds to be drawn. When the one student arrived for Zazen, the Zendo was in its own energy: warm, soft, and inviting,



Candlelight and incense are quite a potent combination. When our bodhi mind has been aroused, a place like a Zendo is a marvelous place to come in order to let go and manifest our true self. Each aspect of the wall in front of us opens, blooms, and begs to be filled with ideas, memories, and feelings. Yet we simply witness.



Students just coming to practice seem either lost in this open expanse or frightened. Those who are lost, seek shelter in the forms. Forms offer a container or a ground, something they can sit with. Those who are frightened seek shelter in their ideas and pick up books, books, and more books.



I steadfastly invite everyone who comes to our center to sit. Practice is the ground upon which everything is planted. Nothing grows without its soil, sun, water, and fertilizer.



Serene reflection meditation is available to you. Just put your palms together, face a wall, sit upright, and remain fully present.



Be well.,