don't lean forward, don't lean back
Back in my Zen days, I'd sit down on the cushion and then move a little to the right, then left, then forward back, getting into a small rhythm that would gradually let my body find its physical center through gravity. Last night, The Teacher (my Insight Teacher) gave a talk on "Heedfulness". We are to be heedful of our intentions, and discerning of our actions--what we do, say and think. Pretty much most of my actions--anyone's actions--tend to be "unskillful", that is, they cause me suffering. And suffering arises through greed, aversion and delusion. So being heedful is a kind of checking back. You're obsessing about something, angry, regretful and...as The Teacher demonstrated in his chair--"You find yourself leaning back in aversion." Or it's something you really really want and you're speeding toward greed--and The Teacher leans forward. Then he leans back, and then forward, he pitches backward and forward, faster and faster. The chair rocks. We are getting anxious. The he stops, upright in his seat. "Or you could just pause, right here, and stop all that useless back and forth."







