Sex and the Guru
In the early 1970s I studied Zen with several Zen
masters, including Maezumi Roshi and Sasaki Roshi.
During a talk one frozen winter morning at Mt.
Baldy, Sasaki said, “You all want enlightenment, but
you have to realize after awhile enlightenment can be
boring.” He then went on to say how you have to
bring enlightenment back into everyday life.
As I had not awakened at the time, his talk had no
impact on me. I wanted to awaken; whatever that
was, I had no clue.
Eight years later I was teaching a course at UCLA’s
Extension in Zen and psychology, and Maezumi Roshi
spoke as a guest speaker. Someone asked him, “What
is Zen?” Maezumi paused 5 or 6 seconds, then threw
his arms out wide and proclaimed loudly, “Zen is
breath! Zen is being present here and now in everyday
life!”
As I had not awakened at the time, I dismissed this
as the testimony of someone who had not awakened. I
judged him as defective because I thought
enlightenment was everything, and everyday life was
something I wanted to leave behind.