In the short time that I have been practicing Zazen I have come to realize the tremendous amount of time that my mind spends in day dreams. Even the minute amount of time I feel that I have gotten back with practice provides amazing clarity. I have been reading through the Treeleaf recommended readings, currently finishing up Nothing Special: Living Zen. As I have gone through Joko’s material I have begun labeling my thoughts and recognizing their association with ego, self-centeredness, etc. There are times when I can’t place a label or association on a thought. That tossed me into a bit of a loop in wondering if those thoughts did have an unrecognized association, or if they were simply there to take up space and fill the calm. I would be interested in everyone’s beliefs as to whether all of our thoughts have some association, even if the associations are not at first recognizable?

Gassho,

Jeff