At Home in the Muddy Water

May we exist like a lotus, / At home in the muddy water. / Thus we bow to life as it is.



This verse is an important reminder, says Ezra Bayda, of what the spiritual life is truly about: the willingness to open ourselves to whatever life presents—no matter how messy or complicated. And through that willingness to be open, we can discover wisdom, compassion, and the genuine life we all want. In At Home in the Muddy Water , Bayda applies this simple Zen teaching to a range of everyday concerns—including relationships, trust, sexuality, and money—showing that everything we need to practice is right here before us, and that peace and fulfillment is available to everyone, right here, right now, no matter what their circumstances. "Ezra Bayda provides real, specific advice for extending our spiritual practice beyond the mediation cushion. This is a major contribution to contemporary dharma."—Larry Rosenberg, author of Breath by Breath and Living in the Light of Death Ezra Bayda teaches at Zen Center San Diego. He is also the author of Being Zen, At Home in the Muddy Water, Saying Yes to Life (Even the Hard Parts), and Zen Heart. For more information, visit www.zencentersandiego.org.