Henry begins this dharma talk by connecting the heartbreaking upheaval in Ukraine with the three poisons of Buddhism: greed, aversion and ignorance. We watch, stunned and horrified, as these forces reshape our world. Although conflicts like that in the Ukraine may come as a sudden shock, we are all susceptible to these poisons, therefore our world is as well.
In this talk from March 3, 2022, Henry Shukman explores “Tokusan Carries his Bowls,” Case 13 from the Gateless Gate. What’s the last word? Henry suggests we sit with “Last Word,” but don’t think about it. Koans can only come to life in our experience, showing us something about our ourselves that we don’t see. Each Koan is a life changing matter.
Image by Mark Paul Petrick