zazen boxe on the main

i find myself waking up at 5:30 am to tread lightly down the stairs of the Zen Centre for the morning sitting. i am living here, in this little house on the corner of montreal's main thoroughfare, The Main (also known as St. Laurent), facing the portugese park. its late night junkies, lunchtime diners, family gatherings sprinkle my days with sounds and smells of urban chaos and renewal. the stillness of our home, in harmony with the cacaphony of urban rhythms, and life.

stillness in mid-city.

that is the theme we live here, daily. thrust into the activity of city is this space of quiet and contemplation. and i am having soooo much fun! talking to myokyo, the abbess, who is full of life and mischief and serious teaching. and kieran, the student resident practionner, 22-years old with bedhead and a penchant for late-night omelettes, he studies neuroscience at mcgill and leads the tight life of a student.

except he gets up at 5:30 am everymorning to be the soshi, the monk's helper.

unlikely room-mates.

and then there is rumi. myokyo's dog. a beautiful, friendly, massive creature whose loud bark resonates throughout the house with joyful, decisive jabs.

welcome to the zen centre, he says, i live here!

after meditation (tea ceremony, chanting the heart sutra, walking and sitting meditation - remember the sequences, the bells, don't fidget!) we eat breakfast. i then zoom up to van horne street on my bike, through the leafy streets of mile-end passing the morning walkers and bikers who weave their way through the city to work or to a café with some other 'self-employed' friend. i am going to box, yes, to BOX! really! to my friend phil's Blue Cat club de Boxe to sweat, skip, run, train, shadow box, hit things and concentrate wildly on getting it right.

my cousin lisa asks is there buddhanature in boxing?

i joined the class 3 weeks late. i practice my patience with myself, i let go of thoughts and judgements about how i ought to be doing and sink into being comfortable with looking someone in the eye as we practice the jab, or uppercut and its defence, focusing on the moment, one more push up, go go go you can do it --- yes! there is buddhanature in boxing.

after only one week, i am sore, and thrilled. and i end these days with yoga, stretching and holding those parts that have been used like never before, and connecting with and letting go of my self....

precision, practice, meditation, le boxe. no contradictions here - just a life! i live here!