Valerie Roshi began by recalling the NASZ sesshin of the previous week, led by Yamada Ryo’un Roshi, abbot of Sanbo Zen International, and his impact on several students. The Roshi’s urging that participants realize their true self and his statement on not wanting to deceive his true self, along with the celebration of a sangha member’s awakening that ended the sesshin and the social gathering that followed it, reminded Valerie of Case 81 in the Shoyuroku (Book of Equanimity) entitled “Gensha comes to the province.” Gensha too, upon his awakening, stated that he cannot be deceived by ‘others,’ since with no separation, there are no others. In Case 81, the day after Gensha’s arrival in Hoden province had been celebrated, he questioned Venerable Shoto on where those festivities have gone. In response, Shoto lifted a corner of his robe and Gensha approved. Valerie’s impassioned commentary on this koan is summed up with a quotation she read from Dōgen’s Bendowa: “When just one person does zazen even one time, they become imperceptibly one with each and all the myriadness of things and permeate completely all time.”
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