In “Actualizing the Fundamental Point” (Genjokoan), Dogen Zenji writes:

Those who have great realization of delusion are buddhas; those who are greatly deluded about realization are sentient beings. Further, there are those who continue realizing beyond realization and those who are in delusion throughout delusion.

When we first come to Zen practice, we hope it will solve our problems, make them better, make us better. It often seems to make our problems worse - but only because we become more aware of them.

If you are not gentle before practice, then practice won’t make you gentle - but you will become aware of your lack of gentleness (at first painfully aware), and will know how to take care of it. If you have an anxious or angry personality, practice won’t make you tranquil or calm; you will see your anxiety or anger more clearly, and, when you see it, you will know what it is and what to do (often, nothing). Obsessive thoughts don’t diminish through practice; they are just seen for what they are. Enlightenment is seeing clearly what is going on. Delusions don’t disappear, and may not even diminish, but, seen as delusions, they lose their power over us.

— Barry Graham, Illusory Flowers in an Empty Sky.