Shundo David Haye

‘Zazen is, to the end, the direct abandonment of everyday life. It is the extra-ordinary activity in which all activities of usual, everyday life have been brought to a stop. In every regard, the value of zazen exists within this extraordinary nature. Zazen can have a power to change our everyday lives from its foundation, precisely because we keep the continual practice of zazen that is thoroughly extra-ordinary in the middle of ordinary everyday life. Even if zazen is integrated into everyday life, we must not obscure the difference between zazen and everyday life. It is also a mistake, however, to cut off zazen from the context of everyday life and try to grasp it that way. It is necessary to discern both the difference and the link between zazen and everyday life.’ (from the Soto Zen Journal)