“If we know we are going to die, then we are right where we are supposed to be.”
In this dharma talk from our recent Winter Sesshin, Chodo Sensei explores three of the Buddha’s first five remembrances – that we are of the nature to grow old, to become ill, and eventually, to die. He describes his own aging and encourages us to ask: How do we experience growing older by the second? Finally, Chodo speaks about Zen as an embodied practice. What does it mean to be in this body in this, and every, moment? His remarks conclude with a powerful chanting of the Evening Gatha – it’s final line hangs in the air like a sign at the threshold of existence: “Do not squander your life.”
ZENTALK NOTES
Chodo Robert Campbell Sensei is a co-founder of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care and is part of the core faculty for the Buddhist Track in the Master in Pastoral Care and Counseling at Zen Center’s education partner, New York Theological Seminary.
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UPCOMING PROGRAMS (as of February 17th, 2023)
—The Contemplative Medicine Fellowship is accepting applications for the 2023–2024 cohort! Now in its second year, the Contemplative Medicine Fellowship is a twelve-month training for physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants who want to lead change in the culture of care. The program is designed to immerse participants in the true experience of the alleviation of suffering in their personal and professional lives. Contemplative Medicine Conversations with esteemed visiting faculty are offered monthly, free of charge. | Learn more »
—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.
NYZC PUBLICATIONS
Get your copy of Untangled (Koshin’s new book) here: https://bit.ly/untangled-book
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