CHOSEI ZEN BLOG
Taking down fences; taking down walls
Listening, across those many divides, means to take away barriers to hearing different perspectives. Taking away barriers, dissolving dualities, is the daily work of our Zen training and it now is our responsibility to nurture that softening across this whole region we call home.
Wading through the muck
I’ve had the unexpected experience of confronting annihilation several times — not literally life-and-death, but something the ego experiences that way — while becoming or being created anew.
Keep Whisking
Resilience is much like making Hollandaise. It is the ability to keep whisking when you are tired, uncertain, or tempted to stop. It is the ability to continue without breaking.
Compelled to Persist
During recovery, I worked not to dwell on the accident or project into the future. Instead, I met each moment as it came. From my room, I watched the changing leaves and found a quiet sense of alignment with what was unfolding.
Resilience: Yours or Ours?
In any given gathering, the weakest person, the least resilient, is the one who thinks they stand alone. Right now, reading this…are you a tree or a forest?
The Poetry of Small Events - The Tragedy of Large Ones
Enjoy the sight of that early robin, the call of a barred owl at dusk. Develop your own calendar of life’s events and enjoy the sweetness of their passing.
Ode to our Japanese Bath
Seemingly a roughly constructed place for bathing, its impact goes far beyond that — It embodies how the things we build reinforce how we teach.
Addendum to “Islands of Coherence in a Sea of Chaos”
Whether you realize it or not, coherence is a natural result of our practices, both within our individual body-mind systems, and collectively as a community.
Cooking Sesshin: A Look Behind the Stove
What sustains training isn’t just the teachings, or the schedule, or even the ability to sit for long periods of time. It’s the way we show up, again and again, not just for ourselves and our community, but for the world.
Sharpening the Axe: On Zen Training and Support
At Chosei Zen, whether in-person at Daikozen-ji or online around the world, we are engaged in a kind of sharpening.
No Easy Answers
Being jiki, or stepping into any role, invites a deeper experience of our life together as practitioners. Even online, the “I” questions begin to dissolve.
Roots that Sustain
I have two ways to describe the roots of Chosei Zen: “a relentless pursuit of excellence,” and “our community of support.”
Selfless Service
Genuine service, or selfless service in whatever form, is never a choice.