Jane,

I just relayed a yoga story at this morning’s session.  When I started yoga, I pushed hard.  You know, typical male ego.  I’d push hard, go home, lie down on spiky balls on my knotted up muscles and take Ibuprofen.  I was taking one step forward and two steps back every time I went to yoga class.  Then the teacher (Jenni Linck) told us that progress in yoga is like a tree growing.  A tree doesn’t try to grow.  It doesn’t push.  It just grows.  That hit me like a ton of bricks.  I stopped pushing.  I stopped lying on spiky balls and stopped needing Ibuprofen.  And after some time, I started to make progress.  Meditation and the Buddhist path can be like that too.  Persistence can work better than pushing hard.

You may read things such as, “Zen study typically emphasizes strict discipline, laserlike focus, paying attention ‘as if you had a fire burning in your hair.'”  This is true too.  But perhaps that speaks to the idea I’ve coined as, “Striving without attachment.”

I look forward to meeting you online and hopefully in-person.  You’ll find the schedules at https://buuhung.com/ and https://mabt.org/

___________
Rev. Scott See (Minh Tự)

May you be well
May you be happy
May you know love
May you know peace