Mind has no color,

Is neither long nor short,

Doesn’t appear or disappear;

It is free from both purity and impurity;

It was never born and can never die;

It is utterly serene.

This is the form of our

Original mind,

Which is also our original body.

 -Hui-hai (8th c.)

 Infant research has revealed the complex and sophisticated processes babies have in learning and developing their minds. Identificatory systems take our experience and allow us to create meaning in the world. Our truth and our identity are an evolving experience of insight and realization. The idea of the original mind opens a space in the confusion and despair for us to think about possibilities. This space is utterly serene.  Taking time to sit and bring our attention to the present moment cultivates this space and allows us to think about our experiences, the opportunity for insight and learning diminishes impulsive reactions that can further complicate our lives.

 Without beginning or ending, your original wisdom has been shining forever, like the sun. To know whether or not this is true, look inside your own mind.

-Padmasambhava (8th c)

To become curious about ourselves is our original wisdom. My clients come into session with an array of fears and regrets. We sit together and think about the experiences from the week with an open heart and mind. This may sound overly simplistic and given the complexity of our lives it is reasonable to assume that we cannot simply open our hearts and minds to reflect on the things that frighten us or leave us with a sense of despair. The therapy setting allows us to pause and consider all those complexities. We can point out basic assumptions and think about the feelings that arise in the conversation. By linking these experiences in the session to the events of the week our original wisdom becomes a guiding light to new possibilities and ways of coping with stressful life events.

 I live quietly with other temple monks,

Get up at dawn to chant Namu.

The valley stream transcends clamor and stillness,

Mountain clouds know nothing

Of being or nonbeing.

Room a half a span wide,

Empty enough to hang a bell in;

Gruel in a gourd bowl

That might be left dangling.

And since I came here, what have I done?

Bathed in the Yi, enjoyed the breeze

In the rain altars.

-Gensei (1623-1668)

We rely on our capacity to think about our experiences and utilize our knowledge to solve problems or acquire new information to help us manage the day-to-day stressors in our lives. Strong emotions can compromise that capacity and we tend to react quickly in emotionally intense situations. Moments of calm reflection can be elusive in a busy day filled with unexpected problems. Psychotherapy and psychoanalysis provide us with opportunities to sit in a room and reflect on those feelings and reactions. The conversation becomes a valley stream that transcends the clamor and stillness. Our journey together allows us to realize the fundamental points that are embedded in the busy and unexpected parts of our lives.

 Despite the obstacles,

I pursued the great monk

The misty mountains a million layers high

He pointed to the road back home

One round moon, lantern of the sky.

-Han Shan (c 730)

The decision to contact a therapist is a complex and meaningful experience for anyone facing a challenge in their lives. Our ability to manage our life comes into question and we find ourselves facing circumstances that we fear are beyond our capability to resolve. The therapist appears as a resource, someone who has the answers and the skills to help us. When I meet with someone for the first time, I hold an appreciation for the courage it takes to seek help and a respect for their wisdom and capabilities. We work together to clarify the issues and determine a path to achieve their goals. This becomes the road illuminated and we travel together, paying attention to the assumptions and beliefs that help or hinder the journey. Ultimately, they realize the great monk that resides within themselves and regain the confidence and hope that was obscured by the clouds of their doubts and worries.

 Late at night I sit alone

And work on deadwood zen

I stir the lifeless ashes

The fire won’t relight

Suddenly I hear the tower

Chime resound.

Its single sound of clarity

Fills the winter sky.

 —Han-shan Te-ch’ing (1546-1623)

Moments of clarity have the potential to change our lives. Depression can fill your world with lifeless ashes and leave you feeling helpless and hopeless to find any joy. People come to my office seeking clarity and we step into the unlit fire and stir the ashes of their thoughts and feelings. Our time together ends for the day and the feelings remain. The weeks can become months without much in the way of change. The scheduled hour becomes a finger or toe hold on our ascent of what feels like an endless journey up the side of the mountain. Chimes resound when new connections are made between experiences and assumptions that are usually outside of our conscious awareness. Being mindful of the present moment and allowing ourselves to reflect on our thoughts and feelings without judgement transforms the arduous journey into an opportunity to discover our creative potential .

 We can say for the present, however, that doubt is nothing other than time. We put our self in order, and see [the resulting state] as the whole universe. Each individual and each object in this whole universe should be glimpsed as individual moments of time. Object does not hinder object in the same way that moment of time does not hinder moment of time. For this reason, there are minds which are made up in the same moment of time, and there are moments of time in which the same mind is made up. Practice, and realization of the truth, are also like this.

- Dogen

Self-confidence helps us take risks and make important decisions. Anxiety and depression can undermine our confidence and paralyze us with doubt. Stepping into these powerful experiences will give us the opportunity to deepen our connection to the moments of time. The fears of uncertain futures and the sadness of what has been lost in the past become moments in and of themselves. They are transformed into objects that do not hinder the present moment. They become opportunities for wisdom and enlightenment. We can respect the suffering we experience as an essential part of our lives and a necessary part of the realization of our ongoing growth and development. 

 Truth’s naked radiance,

Cut off from the sense and the world,

Shines by itself.

No words for it.

-Pai-chang (720-814)

We make our way through the day with a set of assumptions and beliefs that allow us to navigate the demands and expectations of others. From the commute into work to the tantrums of our little ones. We operate with a familiar understanding of the world. Trauma can shatter our assumptive world and throw us into doubt and uncertainty as we struggle with the devastating effects of disruptive and life-changing events. When we can pause in a safe and supportive space the opportunity arises to discover the naked radiance of new truths to help us readjust and reinvest in the world that has changed in profound ways.