35.2 · Zen Monk · The Path

‘Zen is not about being good, but being honest about who you are. That means letting go of stories. The mind comes up with stories about what’s wrong with this or that person, people complaining in coffee shops about situations they can’t change. I see it as disembodied ghosts, this pain that is not owned. The authenticity of Zen is to turn the light inward, to simply say, I am in pain. That’s the first noble truth, the start of the path.

‘Zen has made me careful to have my language reflect my reality. This is the teaching of no-self: I don’t believe the distinction in our language between a core self and my functioning in this moment. I am nothing but what’s happening right now. Being honest is respecting yourself as the Buddha in that moment. It opens you up to let someone care for you, and be healed.

‘Zen help ...