"Zen practice emphasizes that we embrace the apparent contradiction of 'no big deal' as well as clear, mindful attention to detail. In bowing, for example, one is to bring her or his intention to the act. We can bow in a halfhearted way, leaning toward the right or the left, and wishing to get the bow over with as soon as possible. Or we can bow in such a manner that at the moment of bowing, there is no thing (nothing) more important in the world. The quality of a bow may seem relatively inconsequential — that is, 'no big deal' — and it is. On the scale of what is happening in the world, the manner in which one bows is laughably insignificant. . . .
BIG DEAL AND NO BIG DEAL EXERCISE
"The act of bowing may seem quite foreign and alienating to you — all the better. Engaging in this exercise will be that much more fruitful if that is the case. Imagine a person or situation that is sacred to you. You would like to be present, show your respect, acknowledge your appreciation, or open your heart as you acknowledge this person or place. Bowing is a ritual that brings you to this moment with a clear intention of the moment's significance. As you contemplate bowing, let the swirl of doubts and resistance be part of the process. Tell yourself that you will not let yourself go fully — after all, you do have some dignity and why would you do something like this just because the exercise appears in a book.
"Do a 'no big deal' bow that incorporates some piece of intention related to respect or acknowledgment but also incorporates your feelings of awkwardness or your thoughts related to how stupid this all is.
"Now prepare yourself to let go of some of the resistance. You are to be mindful of your reluctance and personal discomfort, but your aim here is to bring sincere, focused attention in a manner that truly demonstrates your open-hearted feelings for this person or situation. Fully embracing this ritual means to maintain awareness that nothing is more important in this moment.
"Put your hands together about six inches from your face and do a slow, mindful bow that reflects your open-hearted intention to concentrate your energy into this activity. Let the action cut through your awkwardness or reluctance — you may substitute prayer or candle lighting or some other meaningful ritual.
"In Zen, we embrace the contradiction of how the quality of our actions is both 'no big deal' and simultaneously vitally important. We see beyond dualities that depict this kind of issue in the form of a competitive argument and do not attach ourselves to either of the so-called 'sides' of the continuum. We live and practice in the Middle Way, where we recognize that the two apparent opposites are actually of the same coin; in other words, completely dependent on one another."
