There’s a phrase, “mind like a steel trap”. What an image! It describes a mind that is sharp and quick to grab on. This sounds good, something we would want. Some of us have such a mind, snatching at every thought, every piece of information and holding on tight. Although this may serve in some situations in some ways, it doesn’t always serve. A steel trap narrows and holds tight. Animals caught in a steel trap have been known to gnaw off a limb to get free. We don’t have to go that far. Instead, we can stop gnawing on any bone, any obsession or fixed view and release into our wholeness and ease.
We each have the capacity to open the heart of the mind in zazen. To slip out of the trap. In zazen, we notice the habits of snatching and holding and discover a more flexible mind, which helps us enjoy the larger life that we are part of and to bring a large view to any situation we encounter. Then our warm heart can have more of a say in the choices we make and how we respond. We’re more able to contribute what’s truly needed from this quality of mind.