You only have so much time here. Time is short! Find out who you are. Give yourself a gift of sitting down and seeing your true nature. It Is so valuable you can’t even market it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cld1YJigDYo&t=3s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K32XCgZU3wI

Phrasing that triggers mutual ignorance: “know what I’m saying?” “Let me be honest with you”, “uuhhh”, “Here’s the deal”, “right?”, “right!”, “make no mistake”, etc. Phrases fillers 'n fluffers. Don’t stop using them, but be very aware.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdtnm8NxPM4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYK_Zbghzok

A dharma gate you walk through, but the idea of a dharma window is that you are just looking through. When something difficult arises in your life, when some situation triggers a reaction, take advantage of this dharma window. Bring that image in front of you and see what it actually is. If you just believe your thoughts about it, you will go in circles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhXsngKXpVk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGihY2uq-Z4

#Sokukoji #Sokuzan #Buddhist #Buddhism #Zen #Talk #Sermon #Battlecreek #Michigan #Dharma #awareness #meditation #shikantaza #mindfulness #suffering #dharmatalk

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyCRnF08uQU

You can’t abandon or let go of something you have not really, really inspected. It seems to take a lot of awareness intention around seeing what, fundamentally the anger is, or any of the other difficulties or kleshas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MCQ4UySZCE

#Sokukoji #Sokuzan #Buddhist #Buddhism #Zen #Talk #Sermon #Battlecreek #Michigan #Dharma #awareness #meditation #shikantaza #mindfulness #suffering #dharmatalk

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H7JZjYkA34

Anytime you have a conclusion, it is just another form of grasping and in its extreme, is greed for something else. Anytime you conclude anything, based on your hope and fear and desire for something else, you actually shut down on your buddha-nature.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8jaBXCBly8&t=93s

During the morning session of this last Saturday of the month meditation retreat online, Sokuzan responds to questions from students in the format called “Mountains and Rivers”, especially about awareness practice with the Covid 19 pandemic and the riots after the killing of George Floyd earlier this week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D83piTff7HU