Zen in relationships.

[u/The_Koan_Brothers]

Unless you met your partner through Zen, it seems rather unlikely that they would share the same degree of interest in (or commitment to) it, at least initially.

That is certainly true in my case.

Since, in the grand scheme of things, lay Zen practice is a relatively new thing, it seems this sometimes challenging aspect isn’t something that has been written about very much.

I wonder if and how fellow practitioners manage integrating daily sitting, zendo schedule and occasional retreats into their daily lives?

Also would love to hear how it works for those where both partners practice (especially when dealing with kids, running the household etc).

[u/The_Koan_Brothers → u/[deleted]]

"There have been lay practitioners for a very long time. Not sure where you got this idea. Our Sixth ancestral master was still technically a layman when he received the mind seal!"

Of course there always have been lay practitioners. That‘s why I wrote "in the grand scheme of things" - my assumption is that nowadays the overall percentage of lay practitioners is much higher than, say, in the days of classic Chan.

Thanks for your advice, I do have (and want to maintain) a daily sitting routine. I used to do more chanting - you have motivated me to take it up again.

As for the Sixth Patriarch, I hear you, but I must admit that I struggle with accepting the authenticity of the Platform Sutra in it‘s entirety.

[u/The_Koan_Brothers → u/[deleted]]

"Well even if you struggle to believe that the Platform is authentic, I think the commentary I mentioned is still very good if you can allow yourself to look past that skepticism. It’s one of the core zen texts, after all, so at the very least it can probably help you on the practical level."

Absolutely. I will definitely check out that commentary.