“If you understand the cause of conflict as some fixed or one-sided idea, you can find meaning in various practices without being caught by any of them.
If you do not realize this point you will be easily caught by some particular way, and you will say, “This is excellence! This is perfect practice. This is our way. The rest of the ways are not perfect. This is the best way.” This is a big mistake.
There is no particular way in true practice. You should find your own way, and you should know what kind of practice you have right now. Knowing both the advantages and disadvantages of some special practice, you can practice that special way without danger.
But, if you have a one-sided attitude, you will ignore the disadvantage of the practice, emphasizing only its good part. Eventually you will discover the worst side of the practice, and become discouraged when it is too late.
This is silly.
So as long as you continue your practice, you are quite safe, but as it is very difficult to continue, you must find some way to encourage yourself. As it is hard to encourage yourself without becoming involved in some poor kind of practice, to continue our pure practice by yourself may be rather difficult. This is why we have a teacher.
With your teacher you will correct your practice. Of course you will have a very hard time with him, but even so, you will always be safe from wrong practice.
Most Musicians have had a difficult time with their teachers. When they talk about the difficulties, you may think that without this kind of hardship you cannot practice music. But this is not true.
Whether you have difficulties in your practice or not, as long as you continue it, you have pure practice in its true sense. Even when you are not aware of it, you have it.
So, do not think you will necessarily be aware of your own development. Whether or not you are aware of it, you have your own true development within your practice.”
– Shunryu Suzuki