Teisho by Genjo Marinello Osho

You know if you were to take a dance class and you’ve never taken dancing before, you might think it is too hard to learn. You’d see everybody who knows how to dance, and they make it look really simple, but you know it had to take time. Learning to dance is all about learning how to take the very first steps. Yet, in the beginning you are probably going to trip over your feet. You might get discouraged, because it takes time, effort and practice.

Once we learn how to dance, we’re just dancing. When we get over that hurdle of thinking about it too much, worrying about whether or not we got it right, stop looking at our feet and find the rhythm of it, then we’re “Dancing.”

Meditation is exactly like this. There’s a certain learning curve, in the beginning that can make it seem hard to do. But once you get in the rhythm of it, It’s should be something that serves you for the rest of your life. Just like if you learn how to ride a bike, you can’t ever forget how to ride a bike, or if you learn how to dance, you can’t forget how to dance. Even if you get a little stale at it, picking it up again is pretty quick. The same thing is true of meditation. But if you danced every day you’d be happy. And I can tell you if you meditate every day, you’ll be happy… that is if you find your groove regularly when meditating.

A lot of people come and sit on the cushion and worry, sleep, or just look pretty, and they aren’t really dancing. This kind of zazen doesn’t serve you or anyone, but you may get some needed rest, which isn’t a bad thing. However, unless you come to the cushion and find some measure of “Samadhi,” where you are in the dance of just sitting, breathing and listening you will never reap the benefits from flowing with the “flow.”

The most important thing is to have good posture. If you’re going to dance, the first thing the instructor is going to show you is how to get your spine erect, your feet planted on the ground and your arms in position, so that you’re ready to dance.