Frog Practicing Zazen

"Zen stories, or koans, are very difficult to understand before you know what we are doing moment after moment. But if you know exactly what we are doing in each moment, you will not find koans so difficult. There are so many koans.

I have often talked to you about a frog, and each time every-body laughs. But a frog is very interesting . He sits like us, too, you know. But he does not think that he is doing any-thing so special. When you go to a zendo and sit, you may think you are doing some special thing . While your husband or wife is sleeping, you are practicing zazen! You are doing some special thing, and your spouse is lazy! That may be your understanding of zazen.

But look at the frog. A frog also sits like us, but he has no idea of zazen. Watch him. If something annoys him, he will make a face. If something comes along to eat, he will snap it up and eat, and he eats sitting. Actually that is our zazen- not any special thing." - Shunryu Suzuki

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