Reflections

The First Noble Truth is that Real is Pain. We often say to ourselves that we want something real. But when push comes to shove, sometimes real is just too much. Sometimes real is just too painful. It is done on our zafu, one breath at a time, with nowhere to hide and no one to hide from.

We often have this idea that to participate in religion we must have a literal belief system or a rigid behavioral code. But human relationships and conflicts are more poetry than non-fiction. Practicing Zen is practicing God—so love yourself with this whole body, and love others with this whole body!

When we wrestle with our adversary, we befriend the stranger. When we befriend the stranger, we fall in love with the stranger. When we fall in love with the stranger, we fall in love with life. When we fall in love with life, we lose our life. When we lose our life, we regain our life all over again.