I thought about posting this picture for a long time, because it’s rather unusual to post unpleasant, too private things here, but my first teacher Ryuten Rosenblum once told me a story: When he came to San Francisco Zen Center at the end of the 60s, he had a phase where he was always ill and he complained to Shunryu Suzuki, who replied: „Stop complaining, a good monk is always ill!“
I’ve been lying in bed for a few days with various abdominal infections, taking antibiotics the size of a small potato and feeling weaker than ever before. Apart from minor colds, I don’t think I’ve been ill for the last 30 years like this. This is very unusual for me, especially as a strong man, as a Zen priest…… And yet it is so. I think Shunryu Suzuki wanted to say that it is good if we ourselves feel how it is when we are weak and helpless in order to understand how it is. Vimalakirti used it as a skillful means.
It is important to show weakness when we are weak, especially with us men! My generation grew up with phrases like: „An Indian doesn’t cry“(German proverb) or even worse „We are as hard as Krupp steel“. (Came out of the Nazi time) We don’t need all that, we are allowed to show weakness and emotions, hiding them usually causes more damage. It builds up and often discharges unexpectedly. Believe me, as a prison chaplain, I can tell you a few stories about where this can lead.
So let out what needs to come out! #shunryusuzuki #sick #zenpriest #sickmandiaries #vimalakirti #weak #compassion #selfcare #buddha #dharma #sangha #liberation #spiritualgrowth #spiritualhealing #innerwork #emotions #emotionalhealing #dontsurpressyouremotions #seelsorge #chaplain #zazen #zen #sotozen #zenteachings
2 Wochen ago