I join the Floating Clouds sangha on Tuesday nights for zazen and book discussion. We were reading a chapter out of the book that I have listed below and were captivated by the clarity and usefulness of the author's ideas. Ezra Bayda, a Zen teacher in San Diego, offers five questions to help us when we experience "cognitive shock" and are in emotional reaction. I have summarized the questions and have found them personally rewarding to work with.
If you are interested in joining the Floating Clouds on Tuesday nights, please contact Brian Goller at bgoller@gollerpublishing.com.
In the Face of Fear: Buddhist Wisdom for Challenging Times, various authors, Shambhala Publications, 2009.
“Coming Back to Where We Are,” Ezra Bayda, pp. 28-37.
“When clarity becomes obscured by the dark and swirling energy of emotional distress, it is useful to have some concise reminders to bring us back to reality. The real question is: what helps us awaken? The answer to this overarching question can be broken down into five very straightforward and specific smaller questions…”
1. “What is going on right now?”—simply requires honestly acknowledging the objective situation…seeing the difference between our view of what is happening and the actual facts.
2. “Can I see this as my path?” If we don’t ask this question, we’re unlikely even to remember that this is our opportunity to awaken…it is essential that we understand that our distressful situation is exactly what we need to work with in order to become free.
3. “What is my most believed thought?”—is like taking a snapshot of the mind…if the answer doesn’t come, you drop it, and return to your physical experience, rather than trying to figure it out with the mind. Then, a little while later, you ask the question again. Sooner or later, with perseverance, the answer will present itself, sometimes with an “aha!” quality.
4. “What is this?” This question is actually a Zen koan, in that it can’t be answered by the thinking mind. The only answer comes from entering directly into the immediate, physical experience of the present moment.
5. “Can I let this experience just be?” To allow our experience to just be usually becomes possible only after we’ve become disappointed by the futility of trying to fix ourselves (and others). We have to realize that trying to change or let go of the feelings we don’t want to feel simply doesn’t work. Allowing our experience to just be requires a critical understanding: that it’s more painful to try to push away our pain than it is to feel it.
