Filling in more familiar alternate words for the skandhas (especially thoughts for formations) and boundlessness for emptiness, really opens up the practice and lightens up the tendency to whip myself for thinking and then again for whipping myself.

I’ll share with others what I’ve also learned to do to lighten up. For some time, as thoughts/distractions arose, I would say and move into the feeling of “not this”. But then a little voice kept popping up saying, …..”but, yes this”. And “yes this” just felt equally true. So your thoughts here are a real affirmation and give me confidence in feeling that “yes, thoughts too are boundless”. What a relief!

Another thought occurred to me while reading this. My life/relationships are often difficult. I work with a challenging population and home life has it’s own ups and downs. I’ve questioned why it is that an autistic young person can spit in my face or pull my hair and I feel no anger or aversion, yet, if my husband were to spit in my face………!!!

But how do I frame these different relationships and what roles do I project on them, based on their labels? I’ve decided that certain behaviors are OK for a person designated “autistic” but not for a person designated “husband”. Just thoughts but they sure can cause pain and entanglements. So, yes, remembering ” thinking is boundless” and “yes, this”, clears the mind and lightens the load

Anyhow, have to get to work. But thanks for this piece. It really helped to bring some practices to the fore.

~Kate

I will definitely use the tonglen practice, along with simple observation and naming of aversion and desire. That seems like a good step to take.

And thanks for asking about Zen and American Poetry. We had our first session (of6) last Monday, and it went great. We have a group of 11, myself included, and our respective diverse backgrounds in terms of age and education and approach to the subjects will provide great discussion along the way. In fact, I’ve been so excited that I will need to shift my attention to grade some Belleuve College papers this weekend, instead of spending all my energy on this class.

Truly a delight to connect with you regarding practice. I hope to see you in early March when Norman comes to the weekend sesshin that closes the Practice Period.

Blessings,
Ewan

I have some questions about a topic I’ve heard you mention, Needing To Practice.

Lately I’ve been feeling like my practice has evolved from an early and excited “coming to practice” phase into a more prolonged observation of the self, its habits and patterns, defenses, reactivities. Especially upon emerging from a weekend retreat (last weekend), and reading Daido Loori’s book on stages of practice (Following the Ox Home, I think it’s called), it seems I’m busy observing all the myriad places desire and aversion, respectively, emerge and manifest.

So I’m trying to be patient, to sit and walk quietly so as to observe closely and accurately as possible. The forms of Zen practice, its rituals and rites, feel to me particularly helpful as reminders to be in practice, moment by moment. Do you have any additional suggestions for practicing in this or similar ways?

All my best,
Ewan