"We must be prepared for a lifetime of practice" says Nicki Doane, yoga teacher, in the liner notes of her DVDs. True for yoga, true for Buddhism. Greed, hatred, and ignorance rise endlessly (as we chant in the Great Vows) in all manners of subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Surely this means we need to do our best to sit every day. Philip Whalen said he was a professional Zen Buddhist because he sat every day. Norman Mailer said the same thing about writing: a pro is someone who writes every day whether or not she feels inspired. But hopefully we sit not because we feel we have to, but because we want to, because the practice itself is a gift that opens us and keeps us open.