Study the Self
Claude Anshin Thomas:
I often speak about the four essentials of Zen practice: silence, discipline, ritual, and study. When I mention study, most people immediately think about which books they need to read. They have an academic or intellectual association with the word “study.” I understand that, but the sense of “study” that has been conveyed to me is not limited to an intellectual pursuit. Study includes the intellect, however, study also includes the attention we pay to our thoughts, the attention we pay to our feelings, and the attention we pay to our perceptions as we move through our day. Zen practice is about being willing to study ourselves, to wake up to the causes and conditions that keep us trapped in cycles of suffering.
Bringing Meditation to Life: 108 Teachings on the Path of Zen Practice, p. 81