“So when you practice zazen (Zen meditation) there is no idea of time or space. You may say “We started sitting at a quarter to six in this room.” Thus you have some idea of time, and some idea of space. Actually what you are doing, however, is just sitting and being aware of the universal activity. That is all. ....Time and space are one. You may say, “I must do something this afternoon,” but actually there is no “this afternoon.” We do things one after the other. That is all.”

Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind Beginner’s Mind

Zen is the practice of finding freedom in our day to day lives. Our tendency is to fall into ruts, and create less-than-helpful habits and patterns – usually for very good reason, that limit our thinking, our beliefs, our actions, and our possibilities. Then, having created a prison for ourselves, we get excited about moving the furniture around, painting the walls, or putting in new carpets. Zen practice provides tools, and a way of life, for breaking down the walls, of our thinking and beliefs, of the prison we have created, so we can taste real freedom.

Zen doesn’t require that we believe anything. In fact, just the opposite. Here are a few thoughts and ideas -- ways to explore Zen practice in your daily life:

Explore doubt and curiosity – Question everything. Whatever you think about yourself, whatever you assume – try asking – is this true? Why do I believe this? Experiment with developing a spirit of curiosity – like a child discovering things for the first time.

Explore your reasons and explanations – All the things that you take for granted may not be as solid and dependable as you think. Become familiar with your reasons and explanations for things, and see if you can poke holes in them, soften your beliefs, and allow your thinking to become more flexible. Begin by getting to know your reasons and explanations for things.

Play with and soften ideas of who you think you are – This might sound very strange indeed, but, who do you think you are? Often, these ideas limit us and hold us back. What if your ideas about yourself are not true? This practice takes a good deal of courage. One way to begin this practice is to identify the various voices that you identify as being you – your voice of fear, of joy, of love, of comparison. Become familiar with name all these voices. Get to know them. Be curious.

Loosen your fears and notice when kindness arises – Our fears tend to be like rocks that we collect. They weigh us down, often without our noticing. Getting to know our fears, and letting them go, can be like lifting great weights off our shoulders. As we lift these weights off, notice how kindness rises to the surface.

What if life were more humorous than tragic – Yes, our lives are filled with problems and challenges. I don’t mean to minimize this. At the same time, our lives are filled with humor. Being a human being, having a body – these things, when looked at from a certain perspective – what could be funnier?

Returning to the quote at the beginning by Shunryu Suzuki, the fundamental practice of Zen is zazen, just sitting – just being with your breath and body; just appreciating being alive.