There are many benefits to sitting as described in this blog, but as it relates to quitting, the most important may be the development of what Suzuki Roshi described as “imperturbable composure.”
What is “imperturbable composure?” Suzuki Roshi described it as a state where “we accept each of our experiences as if recognizing the face we see in a mirror as our own.”
In other words, no matter what happens, whether good or bad, we accept it at face value without becoming unduly happy or upset.
Motivational speaker Jim Rohn came back time and time again to a prime principle of a successful life: it’s not external circumstances that determine where we end up, it’s how we react to those circumstances.
He likened life to being in a sailboat, and said that it’s not the blowing of the wind that determines your destination; it’s the set of your sails. The same winds blow on us all: we all have sorrow, joy, hardship, and plenty. The good sailor knows how to set his sails to get where he wants to go no matter which way the wind is blowing.
When you quit, life is not going to suddenly become all sunshine and roses: life will go on being life, and the more you can maintain your composure and keep on course no matter which way the winds blow, the more likely it is that you will stay free.
And there’s nothing quite like sitting to develop imperturbable composure.
More on this as we go on.
(If you're feeling a bit lost, it may be helpful to go back to the first post and follow along in order.)