Everyday Zen

by Charlotte Joko Beck

The immense cunning of the human mind can operate very well when not challenged; but under the assault of sesshin, sitting motionless for long hours, the dishonesty and evasions of the mind become crystal clear. And the tension created by the cunning mind also begins to be felt. It may take us aback to realize that nothing outside of ourselves is attacking us. We are only assaulted by our thoughts, our needs, our attachments, all born from our identification with our false thinking which in turn creates a closed-in, separate, miserable life. In daily sitting we can sometimes avoid this realization. But it’s hard to avoid it when we sit eight hours a day; and the more days we sit, the harder it is.