If we have not been able to make a relationship with our suffering, frustration and neuroses, the feasibility of transmission is … extremely remote. We have not even made a proper relationship with the most basic level of our experience.  — Chögyam Trungpa

Description: Henry explores Hakuin Zenji’s Song of Zazen during this year’s Rohatsu sesshin. In this first of five teishos, Henry introduces us to Hakuins’ tremendous determination to find out who he really was. Henry describes Hakuin’s history, his fear of hell, his early practice and training and his first powerful experience of awakening.  Henry uses Hakuin’s experience to illustrate the profound nature of Zen “experience” or kensho, yet to also stress that it’s critical that the experience be grounded in a clear path of practice and training.

Post Image: The Way is Home, by Hartwig HKD, CC BY-ND 2.0.

Featured Image Credit: #zazen, by toufeeq hussain, CC BY-SA 2.0.