Melting An Ice Berg

Like anyone, I have things that I'm very pleased with myself on and other things (that cause friction and dysfunction) that I'd love to throw a blanket over and ignore. It's mostly because there are certain negative aspects of myself that are as sticky and long lasting as duct-tape. But in an effort to make progress with myself, I had to make some decisions.

The first decision is making the choice about being (just) willing to pull back the covers on the things I don't particularly enjoy. That's why I threw the blanket over it, trying to ignore the situation in the first place. If I pull back the blanket, that draws more attention to the "baggage," and forces me to deal with it. In the process I'm forced to leave a (sometimes well developed) comfort zone. Trust me when I say, I know how to have suffering, ignore and live with it.

The second decision is that once I have decided to pull the covers back, the question changes to, "How do I deal with the situation in a healthy and helpful way?" This isn't just for the sake of myself but others as well. I like to insert the expression, "Honesty without compassion is brutality." This is a helpful thing to remember.

I sometimes find it useful to think of the things that cause friction and dysfunction as an "Ice berg." We usually only see the time, without know the shape, size and ramifications that are below. "Ice bergs" can be hard and difficult to manage. If the circumstances are right for these ice berg, it can and does remain frozen for a long time. In fact the freeze can be so deep that it's nearly impossible to get at the friction or dysfunction, because it's protected by the frozen state itself. Zen has gone a long way influence and improve upon conditions in which my ice berg lives, so that it will melt. Zen Buddhism generates the willingness to pull back the covers, and begins the process of turning up the heat to melt the ice bergs, that I may have so nicely preserved.

The practice of Zazen (sitting with unified mind), Kinhin (walking meditation), Samu (mindful work practice), Koan practice (It is a reference to examples that are meant to guide life), Sutra study (thread holding or connecting things together) and engaging in the practice of everyday life create an atmosphere and conditions favorable to melting the "Ice berg."

I have to say that in the process of my Zen Buddhist practice, there's an interesting side-effect, that took me a while to pick-up on. My way of usually dealing with friction and dysfunction had been by by taking on challenges one-by-one (prior to Zen training). But in practicing Zen, This one practice changed many things, because my mind was changing fundamentally.

Early in my practice, even though it was a little though at first to make friends with Zen training, I developed a sense of "Hope." I was able to see through my momentary friction and dysfunction, noticing what was right about my life, not just what was wrong. That's where my happiness came from. It was from the ability to see differently. Circumstances didn't always change. I did. It is these changes that have enabled some of the breakthroughs that I've experienced within everyday life.

When I was living at Dai Bosatsu Zendo, Kongo Ji, many years ago there was a calligraphy that Eido Tai Shimano Roshi made. Often I'd plant that in my mind as I entered the Zendo. The calligraphy said, "Unify Your Heart." One unified heart and mind can change many many, many things for the better. A unified heart and mind can easily melt an ice berg.

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
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