Available Universal Self
Kosho Uchiyama, whose Opening the Hand of Thought (Massachusetts, 2004) I have been writing about lately, was a Soto Zen priest (d. 1998) teaching at a monastery called Antai-ji near Kyoto in Japan. He was known for holding rigorous sesshins usually of five days duration, consisting of fourteen 50-minute periods of zazen interspersed with occasional kinhin and three meals followed by a bathroom break.
The reason for these sesshins, according to Uchiyama, was “to help everyone become their self which is nothing but universal self.” (p. 62) He described universal self as “a self that is living out a life connected to all things” (p. 85), a life that is “inclusive of the entire universe” (p. xxxi). He said that this realization of life as an interconnected whole was “what Shakyamuni became enlightened to.” (p. 82)
Uchiyama held his rigorous sesshins to bring participants to a realization of universal self. The same realization is possible for any zazen practitioner. Uchiyama said, “In zazen we let go of thoughts, lower our level of excitement, and live the universal self just truly being self.” (p. 84)
Universal self may be lived not only during zazen but also at any point in the day merely by putting thinking aside. It may take getting used to. It has greatly enriched my life.