The Gift of Irritation

While sitting Zazen, distraction is often what ‘calls us back to order’…
An object hitting the floor, for instance, is what show us the way out of drowsiness.
A coughing fellow practitioner, an untimely sniffer, a noisy saliva swallowing.

These everyday dojo sounds throw us overboard…from Thoughts Liner deck back into the ocean.
Up that heavy boat, we had been pulled without noticing.
Thanks to this external trigger, we jump back in the water.

So instead of irritation, we should feel gratefulness
For gastric gurgling and vibrating phones,
For latecomers who seem to never end getting prepared
Like so many mindfulness bells…

The irritation we sometimes feel is evidence for our inability to welcome,
a sure and shape-shifting indicator, a honest post on the Way.

Franck Joseph
©FJ June 2021 – All Rights Reserved
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