zenjones

Floating on that pink cloud, glowing with big love. Is this not a great feeling? Of course, I am already grasping at it. How can I keep this? Bad Zen student.

During Ezra’s dharma talk on Saturday, he mentioned the dance of practice, and that answered so many questions for me. Questions like “Should I just go back to the breath all the time? What about staying with the sensation? What about loving-kindness?” I realized that different practice situations call for different tools. That there isn’t a prescription for this. Rather an awareness of the possible ways to approach a situation is called for.

In Elizabeth’s talk under the oak tree on Sunday she explained the recognizing, refraining, and returning practice in a way that made it very immediate and clear to me, and others told me it had the same effect. During the talk, one student mentioned how she went so quickly from asleep to awake using this practice that it surprised her.

Most of this sesshin was, for me, smooth and easy. The air was silky and warm and sweetly scented with pine or eucalyptus or the soap on a slow-walker’s skin. It was a joy to experience the changes of light throughout the day. I very much enjoyed being the camera, not as much being the photographer. Oh! And I almost forgot: the magic of the starlit gatha walk. It was something I’ve been afraid to do for years, and regretted missing. It was really something.

This year’s closing ceremony was poignant and moving and lovely. I am so grateful for all the attendees for their meticulous attention to their practice, and our shared aspiration.