If you do, you can.
If you don’t, you can’t.
When you say you can’t do what can be done,
It means you haven’t set out to do it.
—Junkyo Oishi (1888-1968)
Pulling from Zen Seeds, Shundo Aoyama Rōshi’s timeless book on life and practice, Koshin Sensei shares the story of Junkyo Oishi, otherwise known as the “handless geisha” or the “mother of the disabled”. As Koshin explains and the poem above exemplifies, she did not allow the tragedy that befell her (losing her hands and her livelihood at the age of 19) to define her. Tune in to hear the incredible life of this resilient poet.
ZENTALK NOTES
Sensei Koshin Paley Ellison, MFA, LMSW, DMIN, is an author, Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, and Certified Chaplaincy Educator. Koshin co-founded the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.
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UPCOMING PROGRAMS (as of July 25th, 2022)
—Foundations in Contemplative Care is accepting applications: Since 2007, the Foundations in Contemplative Care training has transformed the lives of individuals from across the country and around the world by supporting the integration of spiritual practice and care. This program is open to anyone who feels called upon to respond to the suffering in the world. Learn more >
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.
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