Jacques Casterman: «We are cut off from our essence»

Psychologies: According to Zen, in order to experience inner peace, we need to be able to «fall back.» How do you explain it?

Jacques Casterman: Jacques Casterman: It means backing up, moving backwards to return to your true nature. After all, when a person discovers his essence, hidden in the very depths of his inner world, he gains peace, spiritual clarity, faith in himself and trust in the world. It is these qualities that are painfully lacking in modern people.

And what is our «true nature»?

J.K.: Take a look at the newborn. If his basic needs are completely satisfied, he is serene and lives, feeling the simple joy of being. But this level of existence, the natural «I», gradually gives way to another — the level of «I», adapting to the surrounding reality.

Is this later level causing us so much suffering?

J.K.: We suffer because we «identify» ourselves with this «I» and live in isolation from our essence. This gives rise to anxiety and other conditions that accompany it: confusion, fear, stress. By returning to our essence, we will restore that inner peace that is deeply necessary for our health. By identifying himself with his «I», a person constantly feels that he has not received something, that he lacks something, and the current consumer society only spurs this feeling. But in fact, we do not suffer from lack, we simply do not know what we have — our true nature.

And how does that – deep – level of our existence manifest itself?

J.K.: We comprehend it through our inner experience, through experience. These are the moments when we stop asking ourselves questions about the meaning of life, because what we live gives us a sense of this meaning. We can feel it while watching the sunset, listening to a classical music concert or dancing in a disco. This can happen when we enter the territory of an ancient monastery, or in silent moments after a loving embrace. At these moments, each person feels the fullness of being and simply feels that everything is in order with him.

But after all, we do not choose these moments ourselves, and, of course, they cannot come when we are immersed in business and fuss!

J.K.: Indeed, we do not choose these moments, they find us themselves. We do not know how this happens and why — we are simply overcome by this feeling. And here you can ask yourself the question: “What do I need to do in order to become the person who opened up to me during this experience: calm, with clarity in my soul and openness to the world?” The Zen master will answer like this: «Practice!» Zen offers a path of action, a path of experience and exercise that attunes a person to harmony, consonance with his true nature.

It seems that it is very easy to follow the principles of Zen teaching in everyday life, but in reality …

J.K.: For modern people, the most difficult things are simple things. What could be easier than just sitting down and “doing nothing but with your whole being,” as my friend, philosopher, Zen meditationist Andre Comte-Sponville wrote. Every day for twenty minutes, leave the usual things and do nothing, focusing only on the current moment. “Heals attention,” said Buddha to their students. For example, it cures a disease that is very common to people. It lies in the fact that we rush our thoughts into the past, which no longer exists, or into the future, which has not yet arrived. By learning to live in the present moment in every daily action, we begin the path of healing.

But isn’t this some sort of escape from reality?

J.K.: No, this is the ability to live in the very core of the time and space in which we find ourselves. I am not suggesting that anyone forget their past or not think about the future. I just suggest not to forget about the present.

Can this be combined with our current rhythm of life?

J.K.: Let everyone decide for themselves whether they want to keep jumping out of bed quickly to have a quick breakfast, quickly rush to work … and quickly end up in the hospital with a heart attack or depression! “If you don’t find peace here and now, where will you find it? And when?» This is a question I often ask myself throughout the day. For example, when I stand in line at the checkout at the supermarket or sit in a car stuck in a traffic jam.

But our excitement does not depend only on us, it is often associated with external circumstances, other people …

J.K.: Undoubtedly. But it is up to me whether I will identify with the eternally impatient, agitated, aggressive «I» or not … Such a desire for personal improvement may seem selfish. But just imagine what a gift it would be for a child coming home from school to meet his mother if she had time for him! How lucky will the employees of the enterprise be if its leaders, with the help of daily meditations, overcome the stereotypes of bosses and show their inherent humanity. Every day, for some time, I retreat from everyday bustle in order to please other people with those qualities that our contemporaries lack most of all: calmness of the body, a clear mind and peace in the soul.

Do you still have those moments when you lose your temper?

J.K.: Every day! But before, my reactions drove me crazy sometimes for several hours … or even days. And today my «I» manages to reign only for a few seconds!

And how do you do it?

J.K.: I pay attention to it. I note: «Yeah, you’re feeling an emotion,» «You’re judging.» I get up, throw open the shutters — and the first reaction is: «Damn, rain!» Then I start laughing and I say to myself: “You have been meditating for over thirty years – and that’s all you can say to yourself! Look how happy the trees are, you might be glad too. Just don’t forget to put on your raincoat.» If I had not paid attention to my reaction, it would certainly have soon quietly plunged me into a bad mood.

The course of psychoanalysis that you took, probably also helped you in this work to achieve inner harmony?

J.K.: I was lucky: for eight years I communicated with a student and a friendCarl Gustav Jung , Dr. Ignace Tauber. Thanks to him, I was able to look from the point of view of psychoanalysis on how I live in the world, how I exist. It was a wonderful job of getting rid of guilt. Psychoanalysis, medicine for the soul, cures the suffering self. Zen, the science of healing the soul, offers a person to heal from his «I», which is the cause of his suffering.