By Venerable Dr. Myodo Jabo
“I hate waiting.” – Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride
During my journey through cancer treatment, I did a lot of waiting. I waited in doctors’ offices, I waited in exam rooms. I waited in labs for my blood to be drawn, and I waited on hold with my insurance company to find out whether they’d approve payment. I waited in pharmacies for my prescriptions to be prepared, and I waited for the MRI to start. And all this while not knowing if I’d survive the process.
At some point, I decided I wasn’t going to wait any more. Life was more precious than ever before, and the Buddhist concept of “impermanence” had been smacked upside my head with the cosmic 2 x 4.
My first response was to take my Kindle to all medical appointments. That way I could read something that interested me and not feel that I was “wasting” my time by “waiting.” While I couldn’t take the Kindle everywhere, I could take it most places. If I’m in the middle of a good book – and I usually am – this is something I still do today.
This worked great until I got too sick from chemo to be able to read.
Then I remembered what the Buddha said about mindfulness of breathing: you can do it anywhere because the breath is always with you. So, I started meditating instead of waiting. I meditated in doctors’ offices, exam rooms, labs …you get the picture. Best of all, I could meditate in the MRI tube. (You can’t take a Kindle in there!)
As my treatments wound down and my life began to adjust to its “new normal,” I found other places to meditate: in the car at stoplights, in line at the grocery store, and standing around while other people got ready to go. Any time I found myself “waiting,” I took the opportunity to meditate, instead.
This has become part of my daily practice. Instead of either becoming frustrated by a delay, or daydreaming, I use this time in the best way I know how: for my spiritual practice.
I can honestly say that I don’t wait anymore. Care to join me?
This post was written by Venerable Dr. Myodo Jabo, and is posted here with her permission. For more information about the “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness” Virtual Retreat she will be leading on March 28 – April 3, click here.
About Venerable Dr. Myodo Jabo
Venerable Dr. Myodo Jabo is a Buddhist Priest and Zen Master in the Five Mountain Zen Order. A meditator since 1998, she has been teaching the Buddhadharma and meditation since 2008 and was ordained as a Priest in 2013. She founded Single Flower Zen Center in Claremont, California in 2014. Roshi Myodo is currently the Guiding Teacher of three Zen Centers in Southern California.
She came to the dharma during a divorce and decided to stay. Fortunately, as she tells it, she had been meditating for 14 years when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. A student of Lama Tsultrim’s, Roshi Myodo practiced “Feeding Your Demons” while hospitalized. Once home, she’d ask her husband to prop her up on pillows so she could see out the window for Prajna Paramita practice.
In addition to being of student of both Zen and Vajrayana Buddhism, Roshi Myodo has studied Theravada Buddhism in the U.K. and Shingon Buddhism in Japan. She holds a degree in Psychology from the University of Texas at the Permian Basin, and a law degree from Western State University College of Law. She has taught Masters’ level Buddhist Studies online at Buddha Dharma University.
For her “day job,” Roshi Myodo is the owner of Open Door Yoga where she teaches meditation and leads retreats. She is also a Life Coach, emphasizing the spiritual nature of human beings. She lives with her husband and a rescued Shih-tzu named Mojeaux.
Photos: Header (J. Brownlee)
