Everyday Life Zazen

The other day, a friend on twitter, Tom Otvos was asking me "What is your zazen routine?" My response was pretty specific. It factored around zazen in the morning, evening and kinhin (Walking meditation). That was one answer (the outer), but not the so-called "real" answer (the inner).

My actual Zazen schedule is "Every moment, every where, within This everyday life." For me Zazen is not a fixed place, location or thing (like a zafu). There is nothing which is not Zazen. Zen is vast which is why the practice itself is so expansive. The question that I usually find myself asking is, "Seiho, how is your practice going at This moment?"

The other day, Debra took he kids to the park. Once there, the kids discovered an "abandoned," kitten. Sometimes, it's in the nature of people to abandon animals that they think they cannot take care of. My oldest daughter called me, explaining the situation. She asked, "Can I bring her home and take care of her?" Instantly I saw her expressed compassion, no effort or thinking was involved. She had an intuitive feeling to help the kitten (Hazel). Sometimes, it's in the nature of human beings to save beings that have been left behind.

It's the quality of our "Everyday life zazen" practice, that determines if it is the one who would "abandon" or the one who will "save" that will appear. This is were things can get interesting.

As much as I would like to be able to say that I am the one who always would save, I'd be lying. Sometimes I have been the one to abandon. There have been moments that I had given up on something or someone. It was because I lost my sense of hope, thought the thing was too hard, or I lacked certain qualities or capacities. For those who would be able to understand, I could not sense my connection to Buddha Nature, Mu, Higher Power, or whatever you want to call It. When I am not experiencing that connection, all kinds of things can be abandoned.

My teacher, Genjo Marinello Osho many times has used the expression "Open-Hearted practice of the Way." It seems like such a nice sentiment and yet it means the totality of the universe, seen and unseen. And when I am in some small measure (even if only one percent) synced-up with "Open-Hearted practice of the Way," all of the sudden, options and opportunities appear right in front of my face, that I was not able to see or notice, before. It's like a path was cleared of wreckage. That's when I can go beyond helping myself and agreeing to accept a little kitten into our home.

So I return to the original question. "What is your Zazen practice schedule?" And again I answer, every moment, every where, the same as You. In This Way, there is no gap, distance or time between so-called "You and I." This is the nature of Everyday Life Zazen.

In Gassho,

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
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