Often when we begin a meditation practice, we may find the need to buy things. An expensive zafu, fresh flowers, objects to be placed on an alter, maybe even some comfortable zen-looking clothes to meditate in. We may find after some time, to find the zafu in the closet, the flowers gone, the clothes forsaken for a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. I speak from experience. Now I find myself sitting in a torn papasan chair or the wooden floor if I am meditating indoors, or if I am in my hut, I am sitting on an old faded red cushion someone was throwing away. No flowers, no ritual, no alter. The clothes are some old running pants and an even older t-shirt. You do not need any of those things. Let nothing come between you and the Dao.
