“This life, all is well. Can we really say this? Is it alright to say that life is good?” —Harada Roshi
In this dharma talk from summer sesshin, Koshin Sensei reflects on his first sesshin sitting between two participants – one steady and grounded the other fidgety and agitated. They each represent a different relationship to the discomfort of sesshin, of life. When confronted with things we do not like, would rather not be experiencing, we have a choice to be curious or to shut down. Koshin reminds us that the gates of receptivity and resistance are available to us all the time. Often what gets in our way are the stories we tell ourselves over and over again. Stories about belonging or not belonging; about being good enough or not; about liking this or not liking that create grooves in the path. We get stuck in a rut. How can we get out of these weird, haunting, or cruel grooves?
This talk offers many openings. Koshin tells the story about a buddhist nun named Chiyono. He teaches us where gold comes from and invites to consider that the bowing, chanting, robes, and statues – the rituals and forms of Zen practice – are mirrors. They create opportunities to look closely at ourselves, our stories, our lives and say: “I see you.” May we invite it all in, find our steadiness, and continue to practice together wholeheartedly.
ZENTALK NOTES
Koshin Paley Ellison Sensei is a Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, leader in contemplative care, and co-founder of an educational non-profit called the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. His books, grounded in Buddhist wisdom and practice, have gained national attention. Through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices, the New York Zen Center touches thousands of lives every year.
MUSIC
Heart Sutra by Kanho Yakushiji – Buddhist priest and musician of the Rinzai sect and Imaji temple in Imabari, Japan. In 2003, he formed “KISSAQUO”, a songwriting duo based in Kyoto.
NYZC PUBLICATIONS
- Untangled here: https://bit.ly/untangled-book
- Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up here: https://amzn.to/2JTKF1t
- Awake At The Bedside here: https://amzn.to/3aijXdL
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