When we sit in Zazen,
We dedicate all our energy,
Our effort,
To the practice.
Initially,
We want to achieve something.
Maybe we want to regain calm of mind,
Or clarity.
Maybe our mind is very turbulent,
Influenced by the so-called eight winds,
That are all based on attachment and fear.
Ultimately,
It comes down to not being in harmony with reality,
And therefore suffering.
This functioning of our mind,
That separates ourselves from the environment,
Albeit very useful in daily life,
We actually need to be able to distinguish ourselves from our surroundings.
In the practice,
It becomes an obstacle.
Realizing Buddha mind is about overcoming these obstacles,
Letting go of ego.
And once we get a glimpse of awakening,
Enlightenment,
Waking up to the true nature of our existence,
Which is impermanent,
Then things naturally,
Automatically,
Almost unconsciously,
Become harmonious again.
To find that harmony,
We need to deeply engage with stillness,
And letting go of all these mind turmoil that we face,
Our anxieties,
Our desires,
And all these processes happening in the mental and emotional sphere.
There is this famous dialogue between Bodhidharma,
The first Zen patriarch in China,
The monk who brought Zen from India to China,
And Eka,
His disciple,
Who was standing outside in the snow,
While Bodhidharma was sitting Zazen,
In a cave in the mountains of Shaolin.
Eka was desperately waiting to receive teachings.
His mind was overexcited,
And he shouted at Bodhidharma,
Who was sitting inside,
I cannot put my mind to peace,
Please help me to calm down my mind.
Bodhidharma,
Who was sitting inside in the deep absorption of the Samadhi concentration during the practice,
Responded,
Bring me your mind,
And I'll put it at ease.
Show me your mind,
And I will calm it down for you.
Eka,
Who was sitting outside in the snow,
Sincerely investigated his mind,
And after some days,
Called Bodhidharma again,
By saying,
Sincerely,
I have investigated my mind,
I have looked for it everywhere,
But I seem not to be able to find it.
Bodhidharma responded,
If you cannot grasp your mind,
I have put it at ease for you.
Indeed,
Our mind is continuously going in all directions,
Creating all kinds of mental constructs,
Triggering emotional responses.
However,
If we embrace the stillness of embodied awareness,
We can see that all of these are,
These mental processes,
Are impermanent.
They are constantly changing.
They have no substance of their own.
So why would we worry?
Our true nature,
That we awakened to during the practice,
Is already there.
It is enough to uncover it,
By dedicating our energy to this marvelous exercise.
