Episode Description: Henry addresses the process of being on sesshin.  He continues talking about the emergence of koans, the promise they hold, and the practice of “studying” them—which is really taking a koan deeply into our meditation and simply letting it be. Henry gives some background on Joshu, his apprenticeship with Nansen and his awakening, and he explores “enlightenment” as an experience of direct knowing about ourselves and the world, which changes how we see the world. Through Zen training, we come to understand that we belong and have a place within the world; that everything and every creature has a place and belongs;  and finally, that all phenomena are intrinsically of one single family.

Post Image Credit: Courtesy Cherie Manifest.

Featured Image Credit:  Deep Meditation, by Hartwig HKD, CC BY-ND 2.0.