Entering Zen Practice
The most important thing in beginning Zen practice, or any path of depth and wisdom, is the spirit with which you start. Honesty, integrity, questioning, fundamental kindness, openness, and a sense of humor are all a part of true engagement. You might, stop for a moment and reflect on the curiosity, the longing, the boredom, the pain, and/or the desire that prompts you to explore this path. Listen, find the questions that are crucial to you.
Cultivating a spirit of welcoming yourself to this path of exploration - including every aspect of who you are – is central. A simple and deep welcome undoes the striving to attain a preconceived goal that is the hallmark of the anxious driven energy that permeates our culture. Striving may very well arise - as will every other dimension of our humanness - but we do not have to be driven by it. We can set it down.
We welcome ourselves to stability, groundedness. A way of being that is strong and flexible and aligned with our deepest wish for ourselves and all beings - to live with energy, generosity, connection, wisdom, and depth.
This spirit guides us as we explore Zen practice and teachings, and how we live them.
The path of Sōtō Zen Buddhism is a path for ordinary people who want to wake up to what is alive and real in this world of ours, find the stability that comes from knowing it directly, and the joy and vigor that comes from living in this way with others.
Zazen meditation is central to the Sōtō Zen path, but there are many avenues and forms of Sōtō Zen Buddhist practice – all valid, all important, and all included. We live our practice in the lives we have and that includes everything.
We sit zazen, listen to Dharma teachings and study to deepen our understanding, we care for the temple, we chant and do ritual and other practices such as sutra copying, we engage in service, and we care for each other. Each person, finding the way that works for their lives.
In zazen and in the other aspects of practice, we respect our bodies, minds and hearts as they are - asking ourselves to attend fully with spirit, vigor, and kindness to what is. This is the dignity of practice. We let go of striving and respect the nature of our being. We trust that we will grow, each in our own unique way, with others. In this way, stability and depth become our home, and we can give it to the world with grace and confidence.
We bring our practice to all aspects of our lives – driving to work, cooking, being a good neighbor, picking up trash, creating art, cleaning our house, answering emails, how we relate to others (human and otherwise), how we go about our days, and care for this earth. All of this is Zen practice.
Respecting these various dimensions of a life of practice is central to the way in which we grow and support each other at Ocean Gate. In this way we deepen our understanding and our capacity to fully live the Sōtō Zen path.
This practice can be challenging at times, but it is a good challenge and one we meet with the companionship of good friends and knowledgeable guides.