‘Out in the world, no one cares if you had kensho. No one cares how hard Rohatsu was. No one cares that you did not lay down for a year but sat up in meditation. No one cares about energy or Zhan Zhuang. They want you to listen to them and validate them as people. They want to be acknowledged. I spent a long time after my training missing the cues to shut up and not push my agenda, my self importance.
It’s a great practice to figure out how to offer ourselves to society. Seeing what people actually need. This is a huge slow maturation. In the training, we learned to receive people, to receive life, and it takes a long time to put into normal life.’ (from Zen Embodiment)
Once again, Corey articulates beautifully how monastic training is a launch pad, not an landing pad.
Shundo David Haye 
I had to speak up, to push my agenda, to recognize (lots of times on faith) that I am a worthy sentient being. Of course forcing it like I was (all necessary) I went way overboard ffor awhile. Landding safely closer to center I am grateful for my teachers buddhist and otherwise, but especially all buddhas everywhere. May the struggle continue.
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