Monshin Nannette Overley: Winter Practice Period 2024: Dharma Talk With Monshin Nannette Overley

Sensei Monshin discusses Case 40 from the Blue Cliff Record, which revolves around a conversation between Officer Lu Hsuan and Zen Master Nan Ch’uan. Lu Hsuan quotes another master who expresses the unity of heaven, earth, and self, and marvels at it. Nan Ch’uan, in response, points to a flower and suggests that people perceive such natural phenomena as a dream.

Monshin navigates through the philosophical and spiritual landscapes that inform Zen teachings, pointing out the importance of approaching Zen koans not as puzzles to be solved intellectually but as gateways to direct, experiential understanding.

Monshin suggests that our current cultural disconnection from this deep and natural wisdom has contributed to the current ecological crisis, emphasizing the importance of reconnecting with these ancient insights for the sake of both spiritual awakening and ecological sustainability. She encourages an experiential engagement with these teachings, allowing them to transform our understanding and relationship with the world, moving beyond dualities to recognize the fundamental unity and interdependence of all existence.