Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘”Sesshin” means, you know, to, in one sense, to calm down, to have more calmness of mind in our activity and in our practice. But what does it mean, by “calmness of your mind?” It’s maybe pretty difficult for you to understand.

The calmness of mind is, you know, for instance, you may think if you seclude yourself in some remoted mountain or seclude yourself in zendo, you know, and practice without saying anything, without taking some good food or some food which will give you some pleasure or excitement [laughs], or without hearing someone’s, you know, opinion, in this way you will have calmness of your mind. But that will help, but it is not the calmness of mind which we mean, because real– if, you know, that is calmness of mind, you will have worry to lose the calmness of your mind, you know. When you feel so, calmness of your mind is not already there. If you think– if you afraid of losing the– or being disturbed by someone, you know, that is not already calmness of your mind.

So real calmness of our mind is, you know, as I told you in sesshin time, to have, you know, oneness of the mind with your surrounding. That is real calmness of your mind.’ (from the Suzuki Roshi Archive)