Tesshin opened his talk this week asking the group whether being invited to see a movie with a friend is a pleasant experience or not.  What about following that up with a picnic in a park?  If you are a “glass half full” person, these events would great.  Imagine fun with friends, a great movie, and good food under a warm sun.  But if you are a “glass half empty” person, you would focus on a boring movie, potential conflicts with your friend, and ants and mosquitoes at the picnic!

Tesshin then asked, “What about Zen?”  We could think of robes, peace, perhaps even a deeper understanding of life.  We can also think of sore knees, boredom, and riddles which no sane person could ever solve!

The point to all of these musings is that BOTH perspectives are true and neither of them is true.  Everything we experience is in the Dharma.  (As an aside, Tesshin explains that by Dharma, we do not mean the Buddhist scriptures, but the entire phenomenal universe.)  The great food, the ants, the robes, and the sore knees are all part of it.  Great friends and worst enemies are also part of it.  Tesshin reminded us that the core of Zen practice is seeing the Dharma for what it is.  As such, the good, bad, and neutral are simply part of our practice.  They are all teachers and all have a message to impart to us as we proceed along this journey towards awakening.  

It is interesting to note that in most Zen retreats, there is always a work practice.  Work is not included in the retreat so that the temple gains a source of free labor.  Work is included because bringing the sacred to the mundane is a critical skill we must learn.  Tesshin recounts to us that the last thing he does at his temple after an intensive meditation retreat is washing the toilets!  Now he could get any student to do this disagreeable work, but he deeply understands that even washing away excrement is practice!  Do you see it?

So nothing is outside of life and reality.  Excrement is sacred.  Zen is excrement and Zen is sacred.  It is said in Zen that in the beginning life is simply chopping wood and carrying water (work).  Then one begins practice and everything becomes wondrous and sacred.  Finally, understanding and realization sets in and life again is chopping wood and carrying water – BUT EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT!  Our challenge in practice is to deeply understand this and express it in our lives.