As the saying goes, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” Sitting zazen is a lot like working out at the
gym: you get out of it what you put into it. You can’t expect to run a marathon if you go to the
gym once a week and walk on the treadmill for a half hour. And you can’t expect to be in good
shape if you stop working out altogether. This is true of zazen as well. If you stop sitting, then
whatever progress you’ve made in your practice goes away quickly, then you’re back to your
old conditioned-self, the karmic self with the same strong attachments as ever.
Consistent practice trains you to be focused and present in all circumstances, able to perceive
things “as they are” before the thinking mind takes over and starts judging and assessing. Zazen
loosens the ego’s firm grip on the self. As you’ve heard me say before, the ego is a wonderful
servant, but a terrible master. When you allow your ego to run the show, you’re limiting
yourself and your life. Without consistent practice of zazen, the odds are good that you’ll dwell
continuously in the thinking mind of the subjective ego, without the ability to look out!
Like the story of the monk who had filth on his nose but didn’t know it: everywhere he went,
and no matter what he did or where, everything smelled awful. He blamed the world and
everything and everyone around him for the horrible odor he smelled constantly. It wasn’t until
he stopped and looked in a mirror that he realized that he himself was the source of the foul
odor, and all he had to do was wipe his nose clean. Zazen is the mirror. It’s up to you to clean
your nose, and keep it clean.
There are lots of reasons people let their practice slide. Sometimes life seems so busy and
overwhelming that it’s impossible to sit still – or so it seems. A Master once told a student, “You
should try to maintain a daily practice of at least a half hour every day, unless you’re really
busy; in that case, you should sit at least an hour a day.”
Lots of people give up on zazen altogether. Typically, it’s because they have great expectations.
The ego wants a return on investment, but what it wants is to satisfy the ego’s desires instead
of actually cutting through the ego’s clutter and putting it all down. Zazen is not about getting
something special; it’s about getting rid of the filth on your nose. This is a fundamental
misconception about practice: what can I get? Sitting zazen to satisfy the ego is not sitting
zazen, and you’re guaranteed to be disappointed and give up if you’re seeking ego-satisfaction.
I strongly encourage all of you who have been practicing here to maintain a consistent practice
on your own during these summer months. It’s easy to slack off and let your practice wither.
Don’t do it. Make the effort, even if it’s only for 15 or twenty minutes, show up on your cushion
and sit, regularly, consistently. For a genuine student of The Way, there is no Zen without
zazen.
Seido
Hokoku-an
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