In his Receiving the Marrow by Bowing Dogen Zenji says, “…retreat from the world and make the Way your abode.” Ordinarily we might understand this as saying that practice is separate from the ordinary daily round. But Dogen is prompting us here to realize that the mind that is awake to the true nature of life is free even in the distractions and trances that ordinarily capture all our energies. If we are to realize and manifest the abode of the Way in the midst of all the worldly winds, retreat is at times essential. Zen retreat, sesshin, is a time to rest the thinking mind and open into wide awareness. This takes commitment and determination along with daily practice. It’s not easy to transform our relationship to our own mental habits. But once we have developed a wider awareness of the borderless capacity of consciousness, our inner gaze becomes more flexible and inclusive, “making the Way your abode”, always being at home.
