The Zen Buddhist holiday of Rohatsu provides a wonderful roadmap for learning to live in the present. But there's no need to wait until December to practice living in the moment.
Buddha spent many years adhering to rigorous specific practices of daily life in an effort to realize enlightenment. Finally he vowed to sit beneath the Bodhi tree for as long as it took, until he attained such enlightenment. So as he sat, for seven days and seven nights, he slowly began to increase his realizations about life. As the eighth day dawned, he looked upward to see the brightest of the morning stars, and he instantly recognized that all beings are interconnected-and he achieved enlightenment.

Zen practitioners around the world today honor the Buddha’s experience by observing the Buddhist holiday of Rohatsu during the first eight days of December. The holiday is observed by attending a week-long intensive session that emulates the Buddha’s experiences beneath the Bodhi tree. The retreat is a special time that provides Zen practitioners a focus for practicing and breaking through barriers to achieve new levels of personal realization. The Rohatsu sessions can sometimes be very rigorous and specific, intensifying the regular practices of Zen meditation, helping to lead people to push themselves to attaining the most exalted state of enlightenment.

On the morning of the final day of Rohatsu, Zen monks as well as laymen find themselves longing to experience the same transformation of realization that the Buddha felt during his session years ago. But the danger in this anticipation is that Rohatsu may cause followers to focus too strongly on the final day, looking too deeply within, with their conscious attention firmly fixed on the moment when pure enlightenment will be reached. Hence, the desire for a particular outcome obscures any realizations that may come along on the way.

A more mindful approach to Rohatsu reminds us that the retreat is a perfect opportunity for learning to live in the present-to gently make our way back to realizing that all people have the potential to awakening their Buddha-like nature inside themselves. Rohatsu gives us a way to look deeply inside ourselves and our meditation practices, not just with our focus planted on the final outcome. Rohatsu helps us celebrate the same liberation and freedom experienced by the Buddha, with both our eyes trained inward throughout the journey, without splitting them between the moments along the way and the desire to achieve a perfect enlightenment at the end of the journey.

If you cannot attend a Rohatsu session, or you want to experience mindfulness at any time of the year, there are plenty of ways to practice. Because the object of Zen Rohatsu is to turn your focus inward, this can be done at any place and time, wherever you can settle down and relax, and anchor yourself and your thoughts. One of the most simple and time-tested ways to practice mindfulness mediation is by simply following your breathing, in and out. Do not manipulate or try to control your breathing-just pay attention to it gently and follow its natural rhythm. At first you may find your mind wandering, but simply smile at yourself and return to paying attention to your breathing. It is important never to berate yourself if your mind wanders during meditation, and you need not feel like a failure if your meditation does not last long. Mindfulness does not require perfection; every time you are able to bring your attention to the forefront to focus on the moment at hand and pay attention to your breathing, you experience a wonderful moment of pure mindfulness.

Before long you will realize that it is easy to build mindfulness breathing into your schedule each day. When you sit down to have a cup of coffee in the morning, take a few deep breaths, sip your coffee steadily and mindfully, and pay attention to your breathing between each sip. Let your body relax, and just enjoy the present moment. You can also practice the same mindful breathing techniques each night as you lie down to go to sleep, or as you wash dishes, or as you take a walk, or as you lie in the bath. You can even practice mindfulness as you eat, taking time to savor each and every bite, to experience each taste in the moment.

All mindfulness practices begin with conscious breathing. Whichever way you choose to practice, remember that your primary focus is to be aware of the day, stay calm, and focus on your breathing without letting distractions interfere with you experiencing the moment. These moments can serve to be a wonderful respite-a port in the storm of daily life-to bring you into a harmonious state with the here and now.