Monkies for the Forest

The Practice of Losing Monkies in the Forest

As in my previous meditation practice, the student of Buddhism needs to learn to recognize the entire field of time as empty space, a place for his being to find peace and comfort.

When my cat died, I didn't mourn the loss of her on a particular day. I didn't even think about it much. I just stopped caring about her. She was no longer here.

Meditation, and the practice of losing your "monkies," as Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki would say, is the same. When you learn to know this field of time, and then use your meditation practice to pass through the entire field, this is the gateway to letting go of all thoughts and worries.

Do not try to control or stop the process of letting go. Just let go of the clinging and the anger, and keep moving forward in a new way.

The Practice of Setting Boundaries

To practice the practice of letting go, the first step is to recognize where the boundaries are. What are your "traps"? What things you put up with because they are important to you? Where does the "patience" you thought you had go?

Do not be shy about setting your boundaries. You will learn a lot in this process about why you can't control your life. You will learn to recognize the joy in the present moment. You will become more and more able to love yourself.

You will notice that as you make more of an effort to let go of bad experiences, and even to "feel" the discomfort of losing your "monkies," you will not suffer from fear of living or even from the constant pain of pain in the present moment.

Learn How to Forgive Yourself

You are only human, after all. You are born with your big ego, your ability to look at yourself and judge your life. You have to keep working to remind yourself that you are just a human, and to live your life as a human being.

I cannot stress this enough. You are not perfect. You can't be perfect. Life is too brutal and too unpredictable. There are no second chances.

So, I encourage you to set the bar low for yourself and just be the best human being that you can be.

Life is too short to do or not do something. So just do it.

Today, just do it.

If you fail, you are not a failure. You failed because you were trying. Try again.

Trying is all you can do.

Live for Now

Live your life. Do not suffer.

You must love yourself enough to be in love with the world around you.

Re-create your world with the enthusiasm and joy that a child has for discovering a whole new world.

You are more capable than you think you are.

If there is one single thing that we can say about Zen in the Modern World, it is that Zen people are generous, with an ability to love and to let go, and they are in no hurry to leave any one situation. This is the fruit of the meditation practice.

One of the best ways to manifest the Zen of Mindfulness is to take this practice one step further. Take this practice of letting go and giving things up, and put it into practice in your real life, as you walk through your day and live your life.

What might be your best tool to getting past your attachment, and to starting your meditation practice in the real world?

Your imagination.