There is no magic formula to living a genuine spiritual life. No adequate map that charts the exact terrain–we each walk into the mystery of our lives–blind, unable to see the future that will unfold.

We don’t know what we will encounter when we turn our attention inward during meditation (especially long periods of meditation like retreat). We don’t know what is waiting in the unconscious to rise up into awareness–what parts of ourselves, our family karma or the world’s–that is looking to be healed and integrated in our growing heart.

Hongzhi says, alertly seeing through confusion is the way of silent illumination

Alertly seeing through confusion.

What does this mean for you? How do you do it…

First–how do you recognize confusion? And what practices help you come back to present moment experience, to a moment of thought-free awareness, to the silence, spaciousness, stillness and brightness of this!

I feel fortunate to be in the Zen tradition because it provides a loose form for us to be ourselves. It says, hey--you, you who are always trying so hard...

Sit Down

Relax

Let yourself be quiet for a while

Relax

You don’t need to try to be anything else here

You don’t need to improve yourself in anyway

You can let go of all of that

Just sit

Relax

Just sit

Dreams come from the wilderness, the mystery, the unknown. Dreams invite us to see that all is part of this wilderness, this mystery, this unknown. Things are not as they appear.

We receive dreams all the time. The presence of a cosmos flower, the eye of a cat, a touch, a cricket chirp. The dream of the world is knocking on the self-centered dreaming, saying--hey you what are you doing? We are in this together, dreaming the great dream of all beings.