Answers

Questions about sitting and ordinary life, each answered in under a minute by the MyRoshi teacher, an AI zen teacher. New answers appear most days.

• Can meditation make me less ambitious?It will make you less frantic, not less capable.
• How do I stop planning my day during meditation?You will not stop planning; you can stop following.
• What does "no self" mean in ordinary life?You don't get it because there's no one there to get it.
• How do I practice kindness toward myself without being self-indulgent?Self-indulgence numbs you; real kindness wakes you up.
• Is walking meditation as good as sitting?Your feet are not a lesser cushion.
• How long before I notice any change from meditating?Sooner than you think, and never where you are looking.
• What should I do with fear that comes up during zazen?Fear is not blocking your sitting.
• I feel guilty for taking time for myself. How do I sit with that?Guilt is not a verdict.
• Why does the mind keep returning to the past?Your mind goes back because it thinks something is unfinished.
• How do I meditate when I'm in physical pain or ill?Pain is not in the way of your practice.
• What is mu?Mu is not an answer. It is a door slammed on thinking.
• How do I keep going when I've lost all motivation to sit?You never needed motivation to sit.
• Can I meditate with my eyes closed?You can, but closed eyes are halfway to a dream.
• What does it mean to "just be present" when my life is a mess?Present doesn't mean calm.
• How do I practice patience with people who irritate me?The person who irritates you is showing you exactly where you're stuck.
• I want enlightenment. Is wanting it the problem?Wanting it is fine. Waiting for it is the problem.
• What is the point of bowing?Bowing is how you put your head below your heart.
• How do I know whether I'm daydreaming or meditating?Daydreaming is the ride.
• Do I have to be a Buddhist to practice zen?Zen asks for your attention, not your membership card.
• How can I practice when I have small children and no quiet time?Your children are not in the way of practice.
• Do I need a teacher, or can I practice on my own?You are already practicing alone; a teacher shows you where you cheat.
• Is it normal to feel sleepy and dull for months of practice?The fog is not blocking your practice.
• What does zen say about anger?Anger is not the enemy.
• How do I stop comparing my practice to other people's?Comparing is not a flaw in your practice; it is your practice.
• Should I meditate in the morning or at night?The best hour is the one you stop negotiating with.
• I feel peaceful on the cushion but lose it the moment I get up. Why?You don't lose the peace.
• What is beginner's mind?Beginner's mind is the mind that hasn't decided yet.
• Can meditation help with grief?Meditation won't shrink your grief, but it gives grief room.
• What is the right posture if I can't sit cross-legged?The posture is not in your legs; it is in your spine.
• How do I deal with intrusive thoughts I'm ashamed of?The thought is not the problem; the shame is what feeds it.
• What should I do when I feel bored on the cushion?Boredom means you are waiting for something better to arrive.
• I cried during meditation for no reason. Is that normal?Nothing went wrong. Something you were holding finally let go.
• My partner thinks meditation is a waste of time. How do I handle that?Your partner is not your obstacle.
• What does it mean to "let go" when I don't know how?You cannot let go. You can only stop gripping.
• Do I have to be a Buddhist to practise zen?The cushion has never once asked anyone what they believe.
• How can I practise when I have small children and no quiet time?Your children are not interrupting the practice.
• I've had a glimpse of something deep in meditation and now I keep chasing it. What do I do?What you're chasing now is not the glimpse, only its memory.
• What is the difference between concentration and awareness?Concentration is a closed fist; awareness is the open hand.
• How do I sit with physical restlessness when I can't stay still?Your body is not interrupting the sitting.
• Why do I feel more anxious after meditating, not less?Meditation did not make the anxiety.
• Why does zen talk so much about death?Zen talks about death because you live as if there's time.
• I feel guilty about everything: not studying enough, not earning enough, not enjoying life enough, not being responsible enough. Why do I carry this guilt?Guilt that covers everything is not about anything.
• What is the point of counting breaths?The point is the moment you lose count.
• How do I stop judging myself for being bad at meditation?Being bad at meditation is just meditation with a commentator.
• Do I need a teacher, or can I practise on my own?You need a teacher most when you are sure you don't.
• I'm afraid of what I'll find if I look too closely at my mind.What you're afraid of finding is just more mind.
• What does "just sitting" actually mean?Just sitting means the sitting isn't for anything.
• How do I bring meditation into an ordinary workday?You don't bring meditation into the workday; you stop leaving it.
• Can I meditate lying down?You can, but lying down, the mind mistakes stillness for bedtime.
• I feel nothing when I meditate. Is that normal?You say you feel nothing, as if nothing were a failure.
• What do I do when a strong emotion comes up while sitting?Don't do anything. That's the whole practice, and it is harder than it sounds.
• How long should I sit each day as a beginner?Shorter than you think, and every day.
• I get angry at small things all day even though I meditate every morning. Why?The morning sitting is not a vaccine.
• What is a koan, and do I need one?A koan is a question the thinking mind cannot answer, given by a teacher to a student so that the student stops trying to think their way through.
• My knees hurt when I sit. Should I push through the pain?No. Pushing through knee pain isn't practice, it's stubbornness, and knees don't forgive easily.
• Is it selfish to spend time meditating when there's so much to do?You are asking as if sitting were time taken away from the work.
• What should I do with my eyes during zazen?Leave them open, and let them rest.
• I skipped sitting for two weeks and now I feel like I've lost everything. How do I start again?You say you lost everything.
• How do I know if my meditation is working?You want a measurement, something to hold up against last month so you can say, yes, better.
• I keep falling asleep when I sit. What am I doing wrong?Nothing is wrong. Your body is tired, and the moment you stop pushing, it collects what it is owed.
• My mind won't stop talking when I meditate. How do I make it quiet?You are trying to make the mind quiet.
• Is it okay to meditate for only ten minutes a day, or is that pointless?Ten minutes is not a small amount of sitting.
• I've been sitting every morning for a year and I feel like nothing is happening. Am I doing it wrong?Nothing is happening.

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