Posted inMC Podcasts

Teisho: Case 63, Book of Equanimity: Joshu Asks About Death (Part 1 of 2)

February 8, 2018

“… Zen training involves letting go of anything special, profound or dramatic—it is just this, moment by moment ...”

 just this moment by moment

Description: This talk begins with a discussion of two purposes of practice: 1) to calm the reactive nervous system, cultivate present-moment awareness and experience states of deep meditative absorption; 2) deep investigation into the nature of our existence. In Case 63, when Jôshû asks Tôsu, “What if a man who has died a great Death comes back to life?” he is talking about seeing through how things appear to be and discovering the great fact of our existence, our true self. His question is a concise summary of the entire Zen path. When Tôsu responds, “I don’t allow walking about in the night, come back in the daylight,” he is pointing to the fact that Zen training involves letting go of anything special, profound or dramatic—it is just this, moment by moment.

Post & Featured image: Virginia Live Oak by JamesDeMersCCO Public Domain.

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