Teachings
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Teisho: Case 70, Book of Equanimity: Shinsan Asks about Nature
August 16, 20181 min read
"... this moment ... is without content—it is unborn and, simultaneously, undeniably present ..." Description: In this powerful talk Henry begins by conveying that, however perplexing they seem to be, the subject matter of all koans is right here, right now. In Case 70, Master Shinsan and Master Shuzan are having a dialogue, or mondo. Shinsan begins, “After you have clearly known the unborn nature of life, why are you still attached to life?” The koan is showing us...
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Mindful Awareness
August 11, 20181 min read
All conditions and experiences are valid for practice. Buddha’s teaching on mindful awareness practice is broad: it covers a lot of bases. Be mindful of body posture, of short breath, long breath, of pleasant sensation, unpleasant sensation, sensation that is neither pleasant nor unpleasant, of perceptions and interpretations, of reactions and impulses. And of mind-states: desiring mind, wrathful mind, confused, distracted, scattered mind, contracted mind, and so on. One way to look at this is that he...
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Rohatsu Sesshin Talk 6 of 6: A Guide to the Museum Called “Me” (Part 3)
August 9, 20181 min read
"... our life, our very existence becomes an ongoing service ..." Description: This teisho is the sixth and final talk from the 2017 Rohatsu sesshin. Henry revisits the four levels of “the museum called ‘me,’” discussed in Parts 1 & 2, in order to clarify a few points. The element of “stop and see” is intrinsic to every level. Every level is complete and nothing is lacking, which may make us feel that we are done, that “this is...
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Rohatsu Sesshin Talk 5 of 6: A Guide to the Museum Called “Me” (Part 2)
August 2, 20181 min read
"... the gate of ease and joy ..." ~ Dogen Description: This teisho is the fifth talk from the 2017 Rohatsu sesshin. (The fourth talk was a “silent teisho.”) Henry recaps the guide to first two levels of “the museum called ‘me,’” presented in the first talk of this sesshin and discusses the subsequent levels. The third level is characterized by deep states of absorption or “the journey toward becoming one.” The fourth level is traditionally called awakening...
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Rohatsu Sesshin Talk 3 of 6: Case 69, Book of Equanimity: Nansen’s “Cats and Cows”
July 28, 20181 min read
"... a state of stillness, peace and freedom ..." Description: This teisho is the third talk from the 2017 Rohatsu sesshin. It begins with the various ways human beings have addressed the problem of suffering, citing the solutions proposed in the words of both Hakuin and John of the Cross. This leads into Case 69 of the Book of Equanimity, with a focus on the line, “All the buddhas of the three worlds do not know that there...
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Rohatsu Sesshin Talk 2 of 6: Humility Conquers All
July 20, 20181 min read
Description: This teisho is the second talk from the 2017 Rohatsu sesshin. The central topic is humility. Henry begins with the story of Father Foucauld, a French monk living in Algeria in the early 1900s, which calls to mind the latin motto, humilitas vincit omnia, or humility conquers all things. This directly relates to the six paths of suffering discussed in the first talk. Buddha is always present in each realm, representing the way out of any...
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