Maia Duerr Duerr Feed Feed Maia Maia Duerr Duerr Comments Comments Feed Feed Maia Maia Duerr Duerr How How Years Years of of Zen Zen Practice Practice Changed Changed My My Life Life Comments Comments Feed Feed alternate alternate alternate alternate alternate alternate Maia Maia Duerr Duerr About About Maia Maia My My Noble Noble Truths Truths Body Body of of Work Work The The Liberated Liberated Life Life Project Project Team Team Books Books Writing Writing New New Book Book Work Work That That Matters Matters Articles Articles and and Essays Essays Work Work With With Me Me Online Online Courses Courses Coaching Coaching Organizational Organizational Consulting Consulting Workshops Workshops Retreats Retreats o o Re Re Connection Connection and and Renewal Renewal Events Events Liberated Liberated Life Life Project Project Blog Blog Contact Contact Navigation Navigation Menu Menu Home Home Spirit Spirit How How Years Years of of Zen Zen Practice Practice Changed Changed My My Life Life How How Years Years of of Zen Zen Practice Practice Changed Changed My My Life Life How How Years Years of of Zen Zen Practice Practice Changed Changed My My Life Life on on Mar Mar in in Spirit Spirit comments comments Priest Priest Ordination Ordination at at Upaya Upaya Zen Zen Center Center photo photo Mitsue Mitsue Nagase Nagase Priest Priest Ordination Ordination at at Upaya Upaya Zen Zen Center Center photo photo Mitsue Mitsue Nagase Nagase Vast Vast is is the the robe robe of of liberation liberation A A formless formless field field of of benefaction benefaction Every Every morning morning this this is is what what we we chant chant at at the the end end of of a a minute minute period period of of zazen zazen sitting sitting meditation meditation Every Every day day liberation liberation is is woven woven into into my my heart heart My My Zen Zen practice practice is is especially especially present present for for me me right right now now For For the the past past days days I I watched watched and and supported supported as as three three cohorts cohorts of of students students in in Upaya Upaya Zen Zen Center Center s s Buddhist Buddhist Chaplaincy Chaplaincy Program Program made made their their way way through through various various stages stages of of this this two two year year training training One One cohort cohort presented presented their their final final projects projects and and graduated graduated Another Another came came for for their their second second year year and and took took vows vows to to uphold uphold Buddhist Buddhist precepts precepts and and a a third third group group came came to to start start the the program program and and enter enter this this stream stream of of practice practice and and service service In In the the midst midst of of all all this this three three friends friends received received ordination ordination as as novice novice Zen Zen priests priests As As I I watched watched these these powerful powerful rites rites of of passage passage I I thought thought about about my my own own path path and and realized realized that that this this is is my my twelfth twelfth year year of of Zen Zen practice practice In In the the spring spring of of I I moved moved to to San San Francisco Francisco Zen Zen Center Center for for eight eight months months marking marking the the start start of of my my journey journey in in this this particular particular tradition tradition Since Since then then I I ve ve had had the the good good karma karma to to live live next next door door to to Zen Zen centers centers in in San San Francisco Francisco and and here here in in Santa Santa Fe Fe for for a a number number of of years years I I am am deeply deeply grateful grateful to to my my teachers teachers along along this this path path Throughout Throughout those those years years I I ve ve learned learned a a few few pretty pretty important important things things Be Be wholehearted wholehearted in in everything everything Don Don t t cut cut corners corners Treat Treat nothing nothing like like an an object object Fluff Fluff your your own own cushion cushion clean clean up up your your own own dishes dishes Don Don t t leave leave your your mess mess for for someone someone else else Stay Stay with with the the pack pack Nothing Nothing is is more more important important than than relationships relationships and and practicing practicing to to remember remember our our interconnection interconnection with with all all beings beings Heart Heart and and mind mind is is one one there there is is no no separation separation From From the the outside outside Zen Zen might might look look like like a a heady heady isolated isolated sort sort of of practice practice My My experience experience has has been been completely completely the the opposite opposite It It s s helped helped me me to to become become more more embodied embodied and and to to learn learn what what intimacy intimacy truly truly is is These These years years have have taught taught me me the the value value of of committing committing to to a a practice practice that that has has served served as as a a vehicle vehicle for for my my own own waking waking up up and and liberation liberation I I m m very very much much still still on on the the way way there there this this is is by by no no means means a a done done deal deal I I don don t t think think you you have have to to be be a a Zen Zen practitioner practitioner to to do do this this there there are are many many pathways pathways to to self self insight insight But But I I do do know know it it helps helps to to make make a a commitment commitment to to dive dive deep deep into into one one thing thing and and let let it it teach teach you you about about the the nature nature of of your your mind mind and and heart heart and and to to remind remind you you how how connected connected we we all all are are It It really really can can change change your your life life If If you you ve ve got got an an awareness awareness practice practice how how has has it it changed changed your your life life What What gifts gifts has has it it given given to to you you Please Please share share in in the the comments comments below below I I d d love love to to stay stay in in touch touch with with you you When When you you sign sign up up for for my my mailing mailing list list you you ll ll receive receive my my monthly monthly newsletter newsletter with with reflections reflections on on life life and and liberation liberation as as well well as as my my e e book book Keys Keys to to a a Liberated Liberated Life Life Related Related Comments Comments Thank Thank you you Maia Maia and and others others I I began began moving moving down down the the Zen Zen path path back back in in the the s s I I didn didn t t stick stick In In the the recent recent past past few few years years I I returned returned to to the the path path What What a a joyful joyful experience experience it it is is for for me me even even in in those those moments moments I I become become painfully painfully aware aware of of shame shame regret regret or or misdeeds misdeeds I I have have caused caused myself myself or or others others Joy Joy abounds abounds in in the the awareness awareness Reply Reply Carole Carole Folsom Folsom Hill Hill March March This This is is so so moving moving Sometimes Sometimes I I forget forget why why I I m m cooking cooking in in this this cauldron cauldron and and your your wisdom wisdom has has reminded reminded me me yet yet again again that that it it is is about about relationship relationship with with self self other other and and the the world world Fluff Fluff up up your your cushion cushion don don t t leave leave your your mess mess for for someone someone else else reminds reminds me me of of Jisen Jisen telling telling us us why why we we clean clean off off the the mat mat and and fluff fluff up up the the cushion cushion even even if if we we re re just just going going off off on on a a walking walking meditation meditation round round Leave Leave everything everything ready ready for for the the next next person person who who arrives arrives because because there there s s no no certainty certainty that that you you will will return return to to this this spot spot It It s s been been years years of of Zen Zen for for me me too too but but it it feels feels like like I I m m just just starting starting Nice Nice to to have have a a Big Big Sister Sister to to share share this this path path Reply Reply Lynette Lynette Genju Genju Monteiro Monteiro March March How How funny funny I I always always think think of of you you as as my my big big sister sister on on the the path path Lynette Lynette Reply Reply Maia Maia Duerr Duerr March March Great Great list list Maia Maia thanks thanks for for sharing sharing your your wisdom wisdom Reply Reply David David Ashton Ashton March March de de nada nada David David Reply Reply Maia Maia Duerr Duerr March March I I love love this this affirmation affirmation the the value value of of committing committing to to a a practice practice that that has has served served as as a a vehicle vehicle for for my my own own waking waking up up and and liberation liberation I I practice practice presence presence to to unfolding unfolding within within natural natural growth growth with with love love and and gratitude gratitude My My original original purpose purpose for for vesting vesting in in this this practice practice was was to to give give my my children children a a different different feel feel of of life life than than that that which which I I had had I I wanted wanted them them to to be be raised raised knowing knowing infinite infinite possibility possibility and and trust trust in in flow flow and and celebration celebration of of Source Source as as their their reality reality That That journey journey began began almost almost years years ago ago and and has has changed changed my my life life in in ways ways I I couldn couldn t t have have imagined imagined possible possible for for me me for for as as I I learned learned for for them them I I began began to to experience experience it it for for me me All All that that they they reflect reflect to to me me reminds reminds me me of of the the reality reality of of the the concepts concepts I I read read and and study study inner inner peace peace freedom freedom joy joy of of creative creative expression expression and and enlivening enlivening transparent transparent connections connections It It is is a a practice practice a a conscious conscious choice choice to to vest vest presence presence this this moment moment as as I I am am as as it it is is Reply Reply Joy Joy March March Joy Joy having having met met your your two two wonderful wonderful kids kids for for a a brief brief time time I I can can attest attest to to the the fact fact that that they they are are a a living living testimony testimony to to the the power power of of your your practice practice of of presence presence How How wonderful wonderful to to have have them them as as mirrors mirrors to to reflect reflect back back to to you you how how that that practice practice has has transformed transformed your your own own life life Reply Reply Maia Maia Duerr Duerr March March What What a a wonderful wonderful list list Maia Maia I I particularly particularly like like Don Don t t cut cut corners corners Do Do everything everything wholeheartedly wholeheartedly and and Don Don t t leave leave your your mess mess for for others others I I do do writing writing practice practice as as an an awareness awareness practice practice sometimes sometimes it it is is only only my my discursive discursive thoughts thoughts for for days days on on end end especially especially when when I I am am rushed rushed I I also also sit sit regular regular retreats retreats which which I I refer refer to to as as my my tune tune uos uos they they tune tune my my heart heart to to more more compassionate compassionate behavior behavior Practice Practice of of all all sorts sorts has has gained gained me me a a measure measure of of patience patience and and non non defensiveness defensiveness that that I I did did not not use use to to have have although although there there is is room room for for more more patience patience and and less less defensiveness defensiveness Reply Reply Sharyn Sharyn Dimmick Dimmick March March Sharyn Sharyn I I love love what what you you write write here here because because it it reminds reminds us us that that a a practice practice is is just just that that not not something something that that makes makes us us perfect perfect but but something something that that brings brings us us more more in in line line with with our our authentic authentic self self which which is is perfectly perfectly beautifully beautifully flawed flawed Reply Reply Maia Maia Duerr Duerr March March Thank Thank you you for for this this message message It It s s not not just just a a blog blog entry entry it it s s a a gift gift and and I I needed needed to to hear hear it it today today Reply Reply Gerald Gerald Prrish Prrish March March So So glad glad it it spoke spoke to to you you Gerald Gerald blessings blessings Reply Reply Maia Maia Duerr Duerr March March Leave Leave a a Comment Comment Cancel Cancel reply reply Your Your email email address address will will not not be be published published Required Required fields fields are are marked marked Comment Comment Name Name Email Email Website Website Save Save my my name name email email and and website website in in this this browser browser for for the the next next time time I I comment comment Notify Notify me me of of follow follow up up comments comments by by email email Submit Submit Comment Comment Blog Blog Archives 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