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On more than one occasion, a smile or a laugh has been brought to my face when people describe Zen practice. At times it's like people are saying, "You'll become light as a feather, your mind dancing on the wind... You'll be pious and soaked in spirituality... You will be gentle as a river... When you get enlightened, no more anger..." Maybe, but not likely.

My experience is that there are periods when living the path of Zen is indeed like a ship that is easily cruising through water, feeling as there's no opposition. But more often than not, it's warfare as brutal as any fought across a battlefield by humans. It's a battle waged within the folds of our mind. It's working to disarm a very willing and skilled fighter and opponent, with every tool available, including the kitchen sink. The effort is to stop, block, discourage, dissuade, hinder and misdirect making progress in coming to know the Truth of all being. The metaphor of, trying to steal a diamond from the claws of a dragon that is wide awake and waiting is pretty darn fair. A self-centered ego is an extremely dangerous adversary.

The practice of Zen or any form of mindfulness training, taming the mind requires the development of a formidable skill set. Without it we're pretty much on a fools errand. The good news is that the tools and skills that are required are all upfront and out in the open. The Buddha himself laid them out extremely well...

1. Right Understanding
2. Right Intention
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Focus

Why do we need these tools? Because precisely as the Buddha stated in the Four Noble Truths, self-centered... self-obsessed ego dooms us to suffer... beyond all knowing and without pause. If you don't think I'm serious, take a look around... listen and see how many people are complaining and suffering. It's sobering. It's staggering. Very few are sincerely okay with their life and being as it is. There's a reason for that. It's not haphazard or random.

Though what I'm saying may seem tough and discouraging, it is more than possible to dissolve and cut through the self-centered, self-obsessed, self-absorbed ego. In fact the answer is not far away, but within our own being. In more modern times, perhaps Dogen Zenji put it best... "Body and Mind have dropped." That's It. Nothing fancy. Just dropping it... the illusions that distort or feelings, our mind and our perspective.

Zen unifies the heart-mind. Zen helps us to remove the gaps and barriers generated by the self-centered, self-obsessed ego. Zen is not pink and fluffy. The Zen Patriarchs were not just mouthing the words, "When you come to enlightenment you will shake both Heaven and Earth." This is in fact, quite literal. The battle that we fight within ourselves, is for the sake of all being. Zen is not wishy-washy. That fact is not a small thing.

I encourage both you and I to be resolute in our practice of the Way. Our very being depends on it. In fact others are counting on us too, whether they know it or not. Perhaps that's why in "The Great Vows for All" we say...

However innumerable all beings are, I vow to help them all.
However inexhaustible delusions are, I vow to extinguish them all.
However immeasurable Dharma teachings are I vow to master them all.
However endless the path to Awakened Mind is, I vow to follow It.

Yours In Zen,

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
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