<p dir="ltr">They say enlightenment is always an accident. Here's how to make yourself more accident-prone.</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://henryshukman.com/">Henry Shukman</a> is a poet, author and Zen master in the Sanbo Zen lineage. He is founder of the Original Love meditation program, spiritual director emeritus at Mountain Cloud Zen Center and co-founder of the single-path meditation app <a href="https://www.thewayapp.com/">The Way</a>. His most recent books are <a href="https://henryshukman.com/writing/original-love">Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening</a> and the Zen memoir One Blade of Grass. </p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">In this episode we talk about:</p> <ul> <li dir="ltr">Henry's awakening moment</li> <li dir="ltr">The meaning of the term "inn"</li> <li dir="ltr">We walk through the four inns</li> <li dir="ltr">We talk about loving your obstacles</li> <li dir="ltr">Whether finding a meditation teacher matters</li> <li dir="ltr">What koans are, and how they can enhance your practice</li> </ul> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Sign up for Dan's newsletter <a href="http://www.danharris.com">here</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Follow Dan on social: <a href="https://bit.ly/3tGigG5">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://bit.ly/3FOA84J">TikTok</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Ten Percent Happier online <a href="https://bit.ly/46TZglY">bookstore</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Subscribe to our <a href="https://bit.ly/3FybRzD">YouTube Channel</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Our favorite playlists on: <a href="https://spoti.fi/3Qa8kMT">Anxiety</a>, <a href="https://spoti.fi/3MjtMxF">Sleep</a>, <a href="https://spoti.fi/3QvyA5J">Relationships</a>, <a href="https://spoti.fi/3QxZASc">Most Popular Episodes</a></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Additional Resources: </p> <ul> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Henry's meditation app, <a href="https://www.thewayapp.com/">The Way</a></p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Henry's latest book, <a href="https://henryshukman.com/writing/original-love">Original Love</a></p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://henryshukman.com/">Henry's website</a></p> </li> </ul>
Actionable Insights
1. Embrace Dual Paths of Practice
Recognize that spiritual practice involves two parallel paths: developing personal skills (like mindfulness) and realizing that the ultimate goal (non-dual awareness) is already present. Don’t neglect either personal improvement or the understanding of inherent perfection.
2. Cultivate Foundational Mindfulness
Practice returning to the present moment, becoming aware of your experience rather than being lost in thought or filtered perceptions. Start by anchoring awareness in the body, as it inherently exists in the present.
3. Love Your Obstacles
Learn to be with difficult emotional states or ‘hindrances’ by allowing them to be present and welcoming them with an open heart. This acceptance can catalyze personal expansion and a deeper capacity to be with yourself.
4. Seek Appropriate Spiritual Guidance
Find guidance through various forms like books, apps, or a personal teacher, matching the level and style of practice to your specific goals. Avoid intense training if you only seek mild calmness, and vice versa.
5. Cultivate Absorption (Flow States)
Engage in activities, including meditation, in a way that allows you to enter ‘flow states’ characterized by less effort, self-consciousness, and altered time perception. Meditation can predispose you to experience flow more often in daily life.
6. Use Koans to Quiet Mind
Sit with Zen riddles (koans) without trying to solve them logically; instead, allow the mind to give up its effort to compute. This practice can lead to deep states of rest, peace, and quiet absorption.
7. Engage in Direct Awakening Inquiry
Actively question the nature of reality and self by asking, ‘Who really am I?’ or ‘What is it like if there’s nothing to solve?’ These inquiries can help reveal the boundless, non-dual nature of existence.
8. Observe Insubstantiality of Self
Investigate the sensation of your separate self (e.g., a feeling in the chest or face) and observe its changing, insubstantial nature. This practice can foster self-compassion and reveal a vaster awareness beyond the small, ‘fix-it’ self.
9. Maintain Practice Flexibility
Be open to exploring different dimensions and styles of spiritual practice (e.g., jhana, dance, yoga, dream work) if your current approach no longer feels right. Adapt your path over time to suit evolving needs and curiosities.
10. Release Attachment to Progress
Adopt the mindset that ‘your progress is none of your business’ and avoid pushing too hard or clinging to specific experiences. Consistent practice with an open mind, rather than forceful seeking, makes you ‘accident prone’ to awakening.