Love Hurts (Sometimes)

  Early this afternoon, I went to Kamakura for zazen (zen meditation) practice as usual. We had a new zen master this time, and he looked senior, bigger and well-built than our usual zen master. During the meditation, we could voluntarily ask zen master for hitting the shoulder or upper back with a wooden stick to wake us up or to regain focus. I usually ask for the hit once. But this time, it hurts! I mean, it really hurts and the sound alone scared me off. After the zazen practice session, some participants were also "complaining" (half jokingly, with smiles) about the unexpectedly strong hits they received today. I wish our usual zen master is back next time. Our usual zen master hits our shoulders more gently.

Shuji

Posted on Saturday 14 July 2012