Artwork by Contemplative Medicine Fellow, Prash Gunasekera
Like a plum blossom blooming in the winter, possibilities can emerge even when new life seems inconceivable. Koshin Sensei encourages us to stop indulging our deadening habits and to work with our minds to get clear moment by moment. Can we walk down the street, meet other humans, and get curious about our life together?
In this dharma talk during Rohatsu, Koshin turns our attention to Dogen Zenji’s writings from this day eight hundred and twenty three years ago. He writes, “The two wheels of practice and dharma are intimately connected and constantly turning. Under the bodhi tree the flower of awakening shines bright though and incalculable expanse encompassing tens of thousands of realms. Bliss permeates all beings and their environments.” During this commemoration of Shakyamuni Buddha’s commitment to remaining steadfast in practice, we are given another reminder to ask ourselves: what is zazen for? Is it about just getting through another period of sitting? What are we doing with our minds, our lives? Dogen’s words strike a sweet and nudging tone when he writes that practice, in every moment, can lead to “…feeling a sense of joy as if for the first time.” This talk concludes with a wonderful description of the rituals of Rohatsu.
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.
