In this day one Sesshin Dharma Talk, Sensei Jose Shinzan De Palma speaks on Chapter 6 of the Bodhicaryavatara, The Perfection of Patience. He points out how Shantideva doesn’t directly speak about Patience, or its cultivation but rather emphasizes its enemies and difficulties. Through the transformation of anger, jealousy, envy, hate, and pride we cultivate Patience. In particular, Shantideva stresses the importance of Patience in confronting anger/hatred. Shinzan implores us to see frustration arise in our lives and ‘not fight our practice’. Lastly, he reviews Gil Fronsdale’s three categories of patience: patience with perseverance, patience under insult, and patience with the acceptance of truth. He ponders if notions such as Patience and Commitment will be around much longer in our fast-paced, rushed society, or if, in fact, they’d be… ‘lost arts’.

This SESSHIN is part of the Spring Practice Period 2021.
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Upaya Podcast Series: Spring Practice Period 2021: The Way of the Bodhisattva

Shinzan Palma: SESSHIN: Patience (Part 1)

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Fresh off a two-week pilgrimage to Japan, Roshi Joan and Upaya’s priests share reflections on their experience. For Roshi Joan, this pilgrimage was about connecting to the historical roots of Zen, cultivating relationships with modern-day practitioners, and touching the ethos of care in Japanese culture. Meeting with old and new friends from temples across the country, the trip was an opportunity to create and deepen relationships and learn through the exchange of cultures. From scroll glue that takes five years to make, “one-tooth” shoes worn to minimize harm to the Earth, and floors that have been cleaned so many times they look like mirrors, this embodiment of care and respect was a theme that repeatedly emerged. For others what stood out was the deep surrender of Japanese practitioners or the profound impact of Upaya’s G.R.A.C.E. trainings in Japan. For many priests, the experience of this pilgrimage is still being processed, but a question arose out of it: What is the heart of Zen practice?
Kodo’s Slideshow:
                                       

Reflections from Japan

This is the closing session of this program with Roshi Joan leading it with comments from the participants.
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The Way Of Haiku: Waking Up Through Writing (9 of 9)

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The Way Of Haiku: Waking Up Through Writing (8 of 9)

Pico Iyer discusses Haiku as a reflection of Japanese culture, highlighting its brevity, impermanence, and communal aspect. He notes Haiku’s integration into modern Japanese life, from education to public displays, underscoring its function as an exercise in mindfulness and a celebration of nature’s rhythms. Through anecdotes, Iyer illustrates how Haiku and Japanese cultural practices emphasize interconnectedness, minimalism, and attentiveness to the present moment. He shares the poignant life story of the Haiku poet Issa, whose works embody resilience and gratitude amidst personal tragedies, drawing a parallel between Issa’s outlook and the Dalai Lama’s approach to life’s hardships. Iyer concludes by reflecting on Haiku’s ability to foster a collective spirit and realistic acceptance of life’s impermanence
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The Way Of Haiku: Waking Up Through Writing (7 of 9)

Jane Hirshfield reads a Haiku by Basho about a horse eating roadside rose mallow, highlighting its simplicity, descriptive nature, and the human perception it conveys. She elaborates on the poem’s themes of impermanence, the cycle of life, and the shared experiences of life and death, using it to illustrate how Haiku captures and conveys the essence of human depth and allows for surprising clarity through its concise form. She contrasts Haiku with a longer poem of her own to illustrate the differences in conveying meaning and the potential of Haiku to evoke multiple resonances and associations due to its brevity. Hirshfield also dives into the origins of Haiku, and other forms of Japanese poetry at the time of its creation.
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Shinzan Palma: SESSHIN: Patience (Part 1)

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