I like the Zen story in which the disciple asked his master: “Master, how do you put enlightenment into action? How do you practice it in everyday life?” By eating and by sleeping,” replied the master. “But Master, everybody sleeps and everybody eats.”
“But not everybody eats when they eat, and not everybody sleeps when they sleep.” Ordinary beings are like this: when they eat, they are picky, discriminating which is tasty and which isn’t; when they sleep, they are entangled in chaotic dreams. This shows their strong attachment and discrimination. Some people are fine with any food available, even if it doesn’t taste good. As spiritual practitioners, no matter what food is provided, whether it is tasty or not, we should be able to eat normally without discrimination, vexation, or aversion. Let’s first achieve this goal — maintain a good state of mind while eating anything. When we sleep, we should try not to be caught in chaotic dreams. This is difficult because once you fall asleep, you cannot control your dreams. Therefore, during daytime, we should practice more, be content with fewer desires, and diligently repent to eliminate our negative karma and stay away from mental distractions. By doing so, you won’t be caught in chaotic dreams when you sleep. This is not easy to achieve. The state of the Zen master — “When I eat, I eat; when I sleep, I sleep.” is very high. And if you really wish to achieve this, what you need to do is not just practice as if it were an occasional medicine or therapy, but as if it were your daily sustenance or food. Food sustains your life. In other words, at this stage, spiritual practice is as important as food. Without food, you cannot survive; similarly, without spiritual practice, you cannot move on. That is why one excellent way to develop this power of integration is to practice it in a retreat environment, far from the stresses of modern city life. In the beginning, you need to spend a long period of time practicing in a tranquil environment, to let this state of mind continue during meditation. Then, you may maintain this state of mind while living a simple life. Finally, you can gradually test and elevate your state of mind in the modern city environment.
