A few months ago, I was meditating at my local Zen center, and I did something that I almost never do during practice. I opened my eyes, and I looked around at my fellow practitioners. What I saw shocked me. The guy sitting directly across from me was wearing black from head to toe. The sides of his head were shaved, which helped to accentuate his eyeliner. To my right, there was a young woman sitting in the lotus-position. Her brown hair fell to just below her shoulders, and her tattoo-covered hands rested in a perfect mudra against her pregnant belly. She told me once that she'd started practicing Zen because people like to "test" her at home, and meditation helps her stay calm. Finally, to my left there was an older gentlemen who looked like he'd come straight out of a John Wayne movie. He had tan leathery skin, and a propensity for flannel shirts. I knew from conversation that he was a hunter who described his practice by saying, "I eat what
by Sensei Alex Kakuyo