“Zazen is better than a home, it’s a home that you can’t ever loose” ….. “it’s a home that YOU CANT EVER LOOSE” ….. This is a well known quote from the ZEN teacher and writer Ruth Ozeki. What is home? It’s usually something we connect with our house or the place we live, something we connect with the people we love, family, girl- or boyfriend, husband or wife, our kids …. and whenever we return after been separated from it, we feel as though we have returned home, to our place, house and with the one(s) we love. And, of course, this is a home, and we attach to it, love it and cherish it ..
But there is another home …
A home that is not connected to a specific place, house or building
A home that can’t burn up or be destroyed
A home that cannot be found on any geographical map
A home that have no face, no form, no specific time, no specific place
A home that is not connected to a family, girl- or boyfriend, husband or wife, kids
A home that is not “outside yourself”
A home that cannot disappear, that you cannot ever loose
It’s always there, where ever in this world you are, whatever situation
When we’re away from this home, when we lose connection with it … then we loose ourselves, and in us, there arises a kind of homesickness, a longing … that manifests through all of our desires, and we suffer … even though we’re surrounded by loved ones, a beautiful home, money … we still desire and suffer …
There are many ways returning to our fundamental home … through the sound of a bird, or the wind … but the maingate returning to our fundamental home is through our breath … gentle and lightly awareness of our breath
This fundamental home is our true nature, and our true nature actualises always right here, right now … moment by moment.
No matter where you are, no matter what situation … this home is always right here, right now
We may feel lost in different situations and circumstances
We may feel lost in unknown places
BUT, we are never lost, in our true nature, right here, right now … in your true nature
This is ZEN practice, moment by moment, to anchor into this moment, right here, right now .. .that is your fundamental home, your true nature …
As the great master Dogen said “But do not ask me where I am going, As I travel in this limitless world, Where every step I take is my home.”
Kåei