Motivation comes and comes. Just like everything in life. Spring leaves us, winters comes...winter leaves us buds begin to come back...such is the nature of our world.
Do not try to manufacture motivation, because then it will be fake and you will be missing a very important lesson. How to just allow yourself to be when you lose all motivation. It is very easy to sit and be excited about practice when we are filled with motivation and vigor, but this is simply another state of mind.
We also have to learn to sit with those states of mind we rather not sit with, and this is where the "difficult" part of practice begins to come in. We are always looking for something else, looking for that state of mind we had last week where our practice went perfect and we were sure that we were one breath away from becoming the next Buddha...but what about right now?
No motivation, not energy, no desire, sit with that. Allow yourself to fully experience that. We always try to run away from such emotions and thoughts without ever really seeing and understanding where they come from? Who is it that has lost motivation? Who is it that wishes it to come back?
Thanks so much for this post because the replies will really help further my practice. The reply above actually draws me to the cushion to just sit.
In addition, iI think This is what jundo means when he Says there iw no bad zazen.
Gassho
Ray
It is very difficult to sit during a period of lack of motivation, but it is during that very period that the Dharma is so available if we allow ourselves to watch and stay present to our experience...
A monk once went to see the Abbot of the temple and told him "I am very discouraged. What should I do?" The Abbot replied, "encourage others."
Forgive me if what I said is not of much help
May your practice go well