Make This Moment Your Temple: Zen Enlightenment Beyond 'Spiritual' Experiences

The Myth of a Better Moment

Have you ever felt the urge to leave a given situation simply because it wasn't spiritual enough, just to engage in meditation or another spiritual practice?

Or do you still believe that connecting to higher spiritual truths is only possible through specific practices, communities, or teachers?

Many spiritual seekers mistakenly believe they must practice in a specific way, create special circumstances for extraordinary spiritual experiences, or visit a spiritual community or teacher to realize their true selves.

Nothing will derail your "progress" faster than seeking anything that is not present in the moment.

Beyond the Mundane

Oftentimes, when we discover the spiritual dimension in life, we can’t help but feel drawn to it as a moth is drawn to light. For the very first time, we feel as if there is light at the end of the tunnel. Because many of us have grown up in a Western system which is dominated by the religion of science and materialist thought, most of us have never truly learned about the spiritual dimension hidden behind the materialist perspective.

Naturally, this leads to great enthusiasm when we finally discover that there is something beyond. Something beyond the mundane daily life, the idea that we are merely bodies born only to die, that nothing truly matters, and that life is merely a coincidence. 

At least, this was the experience for me. When I realized that spirituality is the science of our true Self, the essence of our being, my life was changed forever in that moment.

In an instant, I went from being a deluded materialist and atheist to a seeker of spiritual wisdom. My life changed radically after that, and my full focus shifted to realizing my true Self. Luckily, very early in my spiritual journey, I realized that this truth is not contained within any specific spiritual tradition. Although I have tried many different practices and explored different traditions, I have always kept a healthy distance from these traditions.

Since no tradition contains the truth but only points to it, I saw them merely as tools to bring me closer to my true Self, my true Being. However, I also recognized that many people within some of these traditions have become very rigid in their spiritual practice. They place a certain kind of authority on these traditions or practices and become confined within them.

They believe only a specific practice, teacher, or tradition can lead them to spiritual insight, and they keep their daily lives separate from their spiritual lives. Some even believe they need to withdraw from their ordinary lives because they feel it's not spiritual enough. They may start dressing in a "spiritual" way, acting the part and they make sure that everyone can see their spirituality. I think many spiritual seekers, including myself, have done this to varying degrees. And I wouldn’t blame anyone for doing that.

The excitement we feel when we discover spirituality can have a tremendous impact on our lives. Naturally and unconsciously, we then go ahead and divide the whole world into spiritual and ordinary. We seek the spiritual dimension, and we disregard the material dimension.

No Zen Beyond the Mundane

There is a famous Zen story that highlights the issue of seeking special experiences rather than practicing meditation in our everyday lives.

A monk came to a monastery where a legendary Zen master was located. The Zen master's name was Joshu, he lived around 800 AD in China and was known for his relentless dedication to the path. He was known for his direct and unconventional teachings. Instead of giving complex philosophical answers, he pointed to ordinary things, encouraging his students to find enlightenment in their ordinary everyday lives. So the student, who was new to the monastery, came to Joshu and asked him, “Master, I have just entered the monastery. Please teach me.” Joshu looked at him and asked, “Have you eaten your breakfast yet?” The student replied and said, “Yes, I have.” Joshu then said, “Go wash your bowls.” Upon hearing these words, the student was enlightened.

This story is as powerful as it is initially confusing for those who haven’t heard it before.

My interpretation of this story is as follows. The new monk who came to visit the master was seeking special meditation instructions. Back then, it was common for monks to travel from monastery to monastery, visiting different Zen masters to refine their practice and attain enlightenment. So I guess this monk had already had some meditation practice, but he wasn’t enlightened and was seeking special advice to help him break through.

I assume he was seeking “special advice” since he had likely already been instructed in meditation and was therefore equipped with everything he needed. So he went to the master, and instead of receiving a lofty spiritual answer to his question, the master unexpectedly cut through the monk’s desire and pointed to the importance of direct, ordinary experience. "Go wash your bowls," and the monk was enlightened.

Now, what does this story arouse in you? What did you attain? 

I guess, for many, this answer will be unsatisfactory. We want more. We want a special spiritual experience called enlightenment, or nirvana, and we expect to feel good forever once we attain it.

To attain this special state or experience, we believe we must engage in specific spiritual practices. Ordinary life is just too ordinary, and it won’t get us there. This is what many of us unconsciously or consciously believe to be true.

Another famous Zen master, Dogen, once said, "If you are unable to find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?"

He makes a really important point. If we can’t find enlightenment washing our bowls, doing our ordinary daily tasks, where else do we expect to find it? If we can attain enlightenment only under special circumstances, it implies that enlightenment is limited.

It would mean that enlightenment is only a limited and impermanent fantasy that comes and goes. For a true spiritual practitioner, it would be a waste of time to seek an impermanent mind state that only lasts for a limited time.

Therefore, special enlightenment is not true enlightenment. If we expect to find enlightenment only under spiritual circumstances, we have already split the universe into spiritual and non-spiritual. How could we ever find the unifying essence of ourselves—our true nature—in a divided universe?

"Go wash your bowls!" Just that.

There is no need to practice meditation anywhere other than in your ordinary daily life, as you go through your ordinary daily tasks. And instead of seeking enlightenment, practice enlightenment. Washing our bowls is already enlightenment. 

Spiritual practice is not about seeking enlightenment; it’s about abandoning seeking altogether and realizing that enlightenment is present in every moment of our lives.

Make this moment your temple.

Whatever you do, make this activity your spiritual practice.

If you clean your room, this is room cleaning enlightenment.

If you cook food, this is cooking enlightenment.

If you hang out with friends, this is hanging out with friends enlightenment.

True spiritual practice happens in every moment. Don’t divide your life into ordinary and spiritual.

Make the Moment Your Temple

Last but not least, a few practical tips.

Whenever you find yourself wanting to escape the current situation, seeking a better moment or a spiritual experience, simply become very mindful of it. Look at the thoughts that come up, and observe the feelings that try to move you toward a certain action.

For a moment, simply do nothing and observe. Do not follow any of your inclinations. Let the internal movements play out in your vast awareness, and just look. You don’t have to do anything, or change anything about them. You don’t even have to push them away, or make them disappear. And just stay with them.

Instead of asking how to free yourself from these internal movements, ask yourself if you are free enough to let these internal movements simply be.

They are also only ordinary thoughts and feelings. So why would you try to get rid of them? Enlightenment is already there, so you don’t need to push anything away from you.

Become completely ordinary. Learn to embrace the ordinary. And basically, that’s it.

See you next time,

Your friend on the way.

Bye