Maybe it's a bit funny so I'll share it. My first take of the picture before the brain figured out it was actually someone meditating…was that of a teddy bear.
I began sitting zazen to be enlightened. I wanted to be smarter, more calm, and better adjusted than others. I tried very hard. Once early in my practice, I had an experience of realization of the interdependence of all beings and phenomena, I saw clearly that none of us is separate and I understood all this in a completely new way. I went to my teacher with all this, wanting to be validated as a now enlightened being! I got it now, I reached the Zen master level! I was ready to save all sentient beings!
My teacher looked at me and asked "How's your breathing? How's your posture?"
"My breathing? My posture? I don't know, I've been looking at the fundamental nature of human existence! Zazen helped me break through! I now see what the Heart Sutra is talking about!"
My teacher peered over reading glasses "That isn't important. How's your breathing? How's your posture?"
Oof, I was so mad I just gave up doing zazen for any purpose. I just wanted to complete the sesshin I was in the midst of, then I would find a teacher who cared about my enlightenment. I just began to sit without any purpose other than remaining upright and not drawing any attention from others until the bell rang. This meant I focused on my posture and breathing so I would fit in.
That was 17 years ago, I still sit the same way today.
Thank you so very much for your words and wisdom. Each day I am learning to sit zazen. Each day my mind sneakily begins to remind me of my unworthiness as measured by my complete and inescapable tendency to be an imperfect human being. Your reference to grandmother mind made my heart smile. Each day I touch the vast wholeness of the Universe and sometimes a profound relaxation touches my shoulders and my hands remember to receive my belonging here. Thank you.
Maybe it's a bit funny so I'll share it. My first take of the picture before the brain figured out it was actually someone meditating…was that of a teddy bear.
I began sitting zazen to be enlightened. I wanted to be smarter, more calm, and better adjusted than others. I tried very hard. Once early in my practice, I had an experience of realization of the interdependence of all beings and phenomena, I saw clearly that none of us is separate and I understood all this in a completely new way. I went to my teacher with all this, wanting to be validated as a now enlightened being! I got it now, I reached the Zen master level! I was ready to save all sentient beings!
My teacher looked at me and asked "How's your breathing? How's your posture?"
"My breathing? My posture? I don't know, I've been looking at the fundamental nature of human existence! Zazen helped me break through! I now see what the Heart Sutra is talking about!"
My teacher peered over reading glasses "That isn't important. How's your breathing? How's your posture?"
Oof, I was so mad I just gave up doing zazen for any purpose. I just wanted to complete the sesshin I was in the midst of, then I would find a teacher who cared about my enlightenment. I just began to sit without any purpose other than remaining upright and not drawing any attention from others until the bell rang. This meant I focused on my posture and breathing so I would fit in.
That was 17 years ago, I still sit the same way today.
Thank you so very much for your words and wisdom. Each day I am learning to sit zazen. Each day my mind sneakily begins to remind me of my unworthiness as measured by my complete and inescapable tendency to be an imperfect human being. Your reference to grandmother mind made my heart smile. Each day I touch the vast wholeness of the Universe and sometimes a profound relaxation touches my shoulders and my hands remember to receive my belonging here. Thank you.