Hello,
Everybody.
Welcome to today's episode of Inner Sanctuary Podcast.
We explore the power of being present and embracing things just as they are.
I'm Keiko.
With over 20 years of Zen practice,
I'm honored to guide this community in practicing Sonomama,
Sitting rooted in Zen teachings.
Sonomama means,
As it is in Japanese.
It encapsulates the ultimate message of Zen,
To be present in the current moment.
In this practice,
We embrace the present state,
Recognizing that all there is,
Is the way it is now.
And today,
We are diving into one of the most common challenges people face when beginning a meditation practice,
Thoughts.
At some point,
Most of us wonder,
What do I do with all these thoughts?
You might say,
I just want to silence them,
Or they are too noisy.
It's completely understandable.
But here's something important to consider.
When we start labeling thoughts as problem,
We begin to struggle against them.
And that struggle only makes them louder.
So here's today's gentle invitation.
Let go of trying to control your thoughts.
It's not just unnecessary.
It's truly impossible.
Thoughts are not you.
They are like visitors,
Random,
Spontaneous,
And passing through.
Let them be.
Don't feed them.
Don't entertain them.
Because when you do,
They tend to linger.
Just notice and let them go on their way.
In Japanese,
We call this sono mama,
As it is.
And in the Inner Sanctuary community,
This is the heart of our practice.
Being as you are.
Not trying to be calmer,
Not trying to be wiser,
Not trying to be more spiritual,
Not trying to change the moment.
Just you,
Right now,
Just as you are.
This moment is your reality.
And it's enough.
No judgment,
Especially not toward yourself.
It's okay to have thoughts,
Present,
Unpleasant,
Strange.
They are just passing through.
Notice them.
Don't chase them.
Don't reject them.
Don't turn them into a story.
And slowly,
You will begin to see they don't last.
What we are cultivating is the capacity for sono mama,
The strength of simply being present with what is.
All there is,
Is this moment.
This way of being,
Right now.
There's nothing else to reach for.
You want to be you.
You deserve to be you.
Here is a simple metaphor I love.
Thoughts are like clouds in the sky.
They come and go,
Shift and drift,
And eventually disappear.
But the sky?
The sky is always there.
Tibetan Buddhist monk,
Tharten Yasha,
Once said,
Human nature is pure,
Egoless,
Just as the sky is by nature clear.
Clouds come and go,
But the blue sky is always there.
Clouds don't alter the fundamental nature of the sky.
So remember,
You are the sky.
And just like the sky doesn't judge the weather,
You don't need to judge your thoughts.
Just leave them as they are.
Breathe.
Be here.
And if you'd like to sit in this kind of space together,
Come join us.
Inner Sanctuary Community is here for you.
Until next time,
May you rest in your sky-like nature.
Peace in sono mama.
