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For today I have an edited portion of a Katagiri Roshi talk about the suffering of practicing Zen:<\/span><\/p>\n When I was at Eiheiji monastery the circumstances were perfect for the practice because there was lots of encouragement.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n From the beginning to end, Zen practice was very simple. When you stand up, just stand up. When you sleep, just sleep.<\/p>\n But unfortunately we cannot do this always because we have lots of consciousness, already we have a big head. Consciousness is not always quiet. Even though you are happy under a certain circumstances, immediately you don\u2019t satisfy when circumstances change. Finally, you face a certain problem.<\/p>\n When I left Eiheiji and went back to my master\u2019s temple, circumstances were completely different, just two funny guys, and I suffered a lot.<\/p>\n Finally, I ask myself, \u201cWhat is the purpose of life?\u201d \u201cWhy did you become monk?\u201d \u201cWhat is the purpose of Buddhist<\/a> monk?\u201d \u201cWhat are you doing here just washing the clothes and picking up weeds everyday? Ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n Very naturally, our consciousness start to work, always thinking \u201cWhy? What is it? What is human suffering? Should you be always in human suffering? What is human suffering? Can I be free from human suffering?\u201d<\/p>\n Always we think. So we need an explanation of the structure of human life.<\/p>\n Of course, there are some individuals who don\u2019t need this structure of study. They just believe, happy and etc. That\u2019s fine. If you can spend your whole life like this, that\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n But more or less you have to think because you have consciousness. That\u2019s why there is a huge system of Buddhist philosophy<\/a> and Buddhist psychology.<\/p>\n The other day I talked at a college and gave a very simple explanation of a verse from Madhyamika. Then I asked them, \u201cDo you understand my explanation?\u201d<\/p>\n Someone said, \u201cYeah, a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n I asked him, \u201cHow do you like Buddhism?\u201d<\/p>\n He said, \u201cI don\u2019t like it.\u201d<\/p>\n (laughs)<\/p>\n