“Fearlessness is the first requisite of spirituality. Cowards can never be moral.” Mahatma Gandhi
The first time I went to a meditation retreat, I was horrified by the schedule. In traditional Zen retreats, meditation starts at 5:00am and continues all day until 9:30pm. The retreats are two, three or seven days long and are held in silence. The schedule each day consists of long hours of practice (bowing, chanting, sitting and walking), work and rest periods, and vegetarian meals eaten in traditional temple style. Nevertheless, I was also fascinated to learn that in the Korean tradition, the name for those retreats is Yong Maeng Jong Jins (YMJJ), which is translated as “to leap like a tiger while sitting.”
The idea is that, moment by moment, you return to the here and now. And in order to do this, you leap like a tiger. Over and over again, practicing the fearlessness of a tiger, no matter what, you keep coming back to the present moment. Courage does not mean lack of fear. Courage is the practice of fearlessness, just doing it, even in the midst of discomfort or difficulty. Moment by moment, you are encouraged to leap like a tiger, to keep coming back to your situation, to the here and now, no matter what. I call this, the courage to be.
Every moment is new, and every moment requires courage. As we enter the Fall season, you will experience new beginnings, transformations and fears. Try this:
• Take a few minutes to release any tensions and come back to your center.
• As you are breathing in, ask yourself, “What is this fear, this resistance I am sensing right now?”
• How does it feel in your body? Is that fear trying to give you a message?
• Now see yourself inviting and listening to the fear, letting be next to you, like an old friend.
• After listening and feeling the fear in your body, breathe out all the tension and communicate your gratitude for the message.
• When you are ready, open your eyes, and write your new insights about the nature of your fears.
Peace,
Juan