Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘Throughout our spiritual journey, different environments will trigger different reactions within us. When we face challenges, both physical and mental, it’s important not to be surprised or resentful. Even though environments may stir up your mind, these experiences are part of life’s practice and don’t warrant excessive analysis or complaints. The key practice is to handle these mind and body phenomena rather than merely repressing, escaping, or ignoring them. Essentially, it’s about accepting them, which is what we mean by “Tolerate.” Again, forbearance doesn’t mean swallowing bitterness. Rather, it involves training yourself to accept what usually you cannot accept, and to be able to do what you usually are not willing to do. For example, we face pain in the legs and mental agitation during meditation. To work with these experiences skillfully, you could say: “this leg’s pain is not mine; it’s not related to me,” and then return to your method. Or you can directly experience the leg pain, allowing it to hurt, observing it, without connecting with your mind, regarding the leg pain as having nothing to do with cultivating the mind. In fact, we should consider it a meritorious deed to practice with difficulties. If we cannot be forbearing in sitting practice, then elsewhere in our lives, we might give up halfway and abandon something meaningful that we’re doing.

Recognizing this, encountering difficulties along the spiritual path is expected. It’s all part of the nature of practice. Even great masters continue to face challenges after attaining enlightenment.’ (from the Dharma Drum website)