Our way is not to sit to acquire something; it is to express our true nature. That is our practice.
If you want to express yourself, your true nature, there should be some natural and appropriate way of expression. Even swaying right and left as you sit down or get up from zazen is an expression of yourself. It is not preparation for practice, or relaxation after practice; it is part of the practice. So we should not do it as if we were preparing for something else. This should be true in your everyday life. To cook, or to fix some food, is not preparation, according to Dogen; it is practice.
We should appreciate what we are doing. There is no preparation for something else.
There is no need to remember what I say; there is no need to understand what I say. You understand; you have full understanding within yourself. There is no problem.
-- from Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind p. 53-55
