Yet, we do return to Zazen again and again to face these terrors that haunt us in our every day life. As we do face our horrors of our self, we do see them for the Dharma that they are. Through the practice of Zazen, we are able to in an inapt way experience Emptiness and Enlightenment. As we sit, we let go of thoughts and ideas, we see how we have attached ourselves to the past and to the present. We may feel the tension of this attachment like an ship trying to pull away from the pier with may ropes holding it in place.
Some ropes snap very violently others just ravel away.
Zen elders state to just allow it to just happen. First, it is always necessary to become familiar with the language of Buddhism. You need, for instance, to learn the Four Noble Truths, understanding what they mean. Beginners should be familiar with the canonical works of Buddhism called the Tripitakas. In addition, students should read the foundational Sutra of Zen Buddhism which is the Lankavatara Sutra.