“Zazen is an attitude for how you live.” – Koshin 

For many of us, showing others who we really are is rare. But why? What causes and conditions; stories and identities do you drape around yourself? Keizan Jokin says that the practice of sitting zazen is like coming home. How can we set down what is hiding and separating us from one another to be truly at home within ourselves and of service to others? 

In this recent dharma talk, Koshin Sensei offers the second in a series of talks on Keizan Jokin’s “Zazen-Yojinki”. Keizan is the dharma grandson of Dogen Zenji and, like Dogen, was committed to making this practice available and accessible to all people. With this aspiration, Keizan is notable for many things, including the creation of communal rituals and ceremonies honoring loss and recognizing other rites of passage. In this classic text, “Zazen-Yojinki,” translated as “Points to keep in mind when practicing zazen,” we are encouraged to set down our preoccupations with the small self and allow ourselves and others to become who we truly are. In this talk Koshin focuses on the second sentence as it expands on Keizan’s opening line. What dwelling “comfortably in your actual nature” looks like in practice and in life is “revealing yourself manifesting the original ground.” That is, when we come home to ourselves in our practice, through our relationships, “both body and mind drop off. Zazen is far beyond the form of sitting or lying down.” The forms of practice and the roles we play in life can become a barrier to meeting reality just as it is. Can we allow the small body and mind to drop off so that we may experience what else is true? We all have specific roles and identities that are important to how we function in the world. And any one of them can become a problem. It depends on how we hold these identities. Can we practice setting our smaller selves down? When our true nature is uncovered, “revealing ourselves manifesting the mind-ground,” we can come home to ourselves and be of service to others. 

ZENTALK NOTES

Koshin Paley Ellison Sensei is a Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, leader in contemplative care, and co-founder of an educational non-profit called the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. His books, grounded in Buddhist wisdom and practice, have gained national attention. Through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices, the New York Zen Center touches thousands of lives every year.

Heart Sutra by Kanho Yakushiji –  Buddhist priest and musician of the Rinzai sect and Imaji temple in Imabari, Japan. In 2003, he formed “KISSAQUO”, a songwriting duo based in Kyoto.

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Artwork by Contemplative Medicine Fellow, Prash Gunasekera

Like a plum blossom blooming in the winter, possibilities can emerge even when new life seems inconceivable. Koshin Sensei encourages us to stop indulging our deadening habits and to work with our minds to get clear moment by moment. Can we walk down the street, meet other humans, and get curious about our life together?

In this dharma talk during Rohatsu, Koshin turns our attention to Dogen Zenji’s writings from this day eight hundred and twenty three years ago. He writes, “The two wheels of practice and dharma are intimately connected and constantly turning. Under the bodhi tree the flower of awakening shines bright though and incalculable expanse encompassing tens of thousands of realms. Bliss permeates all beings and their environments.” During this commemoration of Shakyamuni Buddha’s commitment to remaining steadfast in practice, we are given another reminder to ask ourselves: what is zazen for? Is it about just getting through another period of sitting? What are we doing with our minds, our lives? Dogen’s words strike a sweet and nudging tone when he writes that practice, in every moment, can lead to “…feeling a sense of joy as if for the first time.” This talk concludes with a wonderful description of the rituals of Rohatsu.   

ZENTALK NOTES

Koshin Paley Ellison Sensei is a Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, leader in contemplative care, and co-founder of an educational non-profit called the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. His books, grounded in Buddhist wisdom and practice, have gained national attention. Through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices, the New York Zen Center touches thousands of lives every year.

Heart Sutra by Kanho Yakushiji –  Buddhist priest and musician of the Rinzai sect and Imaji temple in Imabari, Japan. In 2003, he formed “KISSAQUO”, a songwriting duo based in Kyoto.

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“It turns out that we don’t really change until we completely commit, especially when things are hard.” 

We all can feel lonely and isolated sometimes. And, at the very same time, we are often reluctant to participate and engage with what is all around us. Koshin Sensei encourages us not to hold back. Perhaps, when we commit to being fully in our lives, we can come home to ourselves and truly meet others along the way. 

In this recent dharma talk, Koshin Sensei offers the first in a series of teachings on Keizan Jokin’s “Zazen-Yojinki”. Keizan, the dharma grandson of Dogen Zenji, is the recognized co-founder of Soto Zen Buddhism and the title of this text is translated as “Points to keep in mind when practicing zazen.” The opening sentence is striking. “Zazen means to clarify the mind-ground and dwell comfortably in your actual nature.” Koshin focuses on this line and encourages us to fully inhabit our lives.

When Keizan says that “zazen is like returning home and sitting in peace,” Koshin asks: why remain outside the gate? “Other activities and distractions are like being outside the gate. When we are not focused, we leave ourselves outside the gate.” The commitment to practice is about clarifying and dwelling, about being in your true nature and coming home.

The auspicious occasion of this talk is the morning directly after our sangha’s Rohatsu celebration, a sitting meditation practice that goes deep into the middle of the night to honor Shakyamuni Buddha’s steadfast sitting under the bodhi tree until he saw the morning star.  Rohatsu reconnects us to the urgency of practice and recognizes that we are here because of the dedication of myriad practitioners of the awakening way. Come in. Do not stay outside the gate. Join life.  

ZENTALK NOTES

Koshin Paley Ellison Sensei is a Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, leader in contemplative care, and co-founder of an educational non-profit called the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. His books, grounded in Buddhist wisdom and practice, have gained national attention. Through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices, the New York Zen Center touches thousands of lives every year.

Heart Sutra by Kanho Yakushiji –  Buddhist priest and musician of the Rinzai sect and Imaji temple in Imabari, Japan. In 2003, he formed “KISSAQUO”, a songwriting duo based in Kyoto.

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“We are caught in unawareness, in delusion, when our minds grasp after what isn’t really here and right in front of us.” – Chodo

Our minds are constantly grasping after shiny objects – names, concepts, ideas, stories. There is a long history in Buddhism of referring to this cognitive tendency as our monkey mind. Chodo Sensei encourages us to pay close attention to this grasping. Can we see how our minds chase after the mere reflections of things, rather than aspiring to connect with what is really here? 

In this dharma talk, Chodo begins by drawing our attention to what is around him. The flowers, like all aspect of reality, become our teacher. We also hear about a recent trip Chodo took to the Japan Society to view paintings and calligraphy by Hakuin Ekaku (1685-1768). Chodo focuses on one particular scroll depicting a monkey reaching down into a pool of water to grab the moon. This relatively famous image is revealing, a playful portrayal of a central teaching about the kinds of minds we all have. In our delusion, the mind’s reach is often misplaced. Chodo turns to the wisdom of Zen Master Raven to teach us more about delusion. Can we seek after what is real and practice doing what is true?  Ethical precepts, we are reminded by this talk, are always intimately related to the minds we cultivate. This talk concludes with Chodo’s reading and exploration of Thich Nhat Hahn’s perspective on the moon and the moonviewer.  

ZENTALK NOTES

Chodo Campbell Sensei is a Zen teacher, bereavement specialist, grief counselor and a recognized leader for those suffering with the complexities of death & dying, aging, and sobriety.  The educational non-profit he co-founded, the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, touches thousands of lives every year through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices. Chodo has been featured in the New York Times, PBS, CBS Sunday Morning and other media outlets. 

Heart Sutra by Kanho Yakushiji –  Buddhist priest and musician of the Rinzai sect and Imaji temple in Imabari, Japan. In 2003, he formed “KISSAQUO”, a songwriting duo based in Kyoto.

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“Why are you seeking liberation outside of yourself?” – Jianzhi 

We all can feel bound up sometimes. And for good reason, depending on the life circumstances we find ourselves in. Over time and with practice, Koshin Sensei encourages us, we can learn to avail ourselves of the freedom and clarity that are always available to us. Within a supportive community, invite yourself to “Set down what you are worried about and just show up in each moment.”

In this dharma talk, Koshin begins with a moving reflection on the value of tears. “Moments of weeping help to clarify what is most important to us.” His talk continues with an exploration of an ongoing study of Soto Zen’s Chinese ancestors. We learn how Daoxin, who lived during the 7th Century, is not so different from us today. Caught up in his own stuff and clamoring to find someone to give him all the answers, Daoxin is tenderly and pointedly questioned by his teacher, Jianzhi. Their intimate exchange as teacher and student is another example of how this practice is about community and relationship. In one moment, we are bound up and in the next we are clear. We lose our way only to find it again in the next breath. This awakening way, Koshin reminds us, must be practiced with great tenderness toward ourselves and with one another. Near the end of this talk, Koshin reads Keizan’s poetic tribute to the exchange between Daoxin and Jianzhi.

“Mind is empty, and our knowing contains no right or wrong.
In this, what is there to be bound or liberated?”  

ZENTALK NOTES

Koshin Paley Ellison Sensei is a Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, leader in contemplative care, and co-founder of an educational non-profit called the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. His books, grounded in Buddhist wisdom and practice, have gained national attention. Through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices, the New York Zen Center touches thousands of lives every year.

Heart Sutra by Kanho Yakushiji –  Buddhist priest and musician of the Rinzai sect and Imaji temple in Imabari, Japan. In 2003, he formed “KISSAQUO”, a songwriting duo based in Kyoto.

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“How open am I? Who and what do I not welcome in?” – Koshin

Providing safe harbor and true welcome to all others is deeply courageous. The Statue of Liberty symbolizes the bodhisattva vow to exclude nothing and no one from our care and compassion. “How many of us are that open?”

In this dharma talk, Koshin Sensei reflects on a recent visit to Liberty Island. He is moved to imagine what his own sojourning ancestors must have felt seeing this ‘mother of exiles,’ as Emma Lazarus refers to Lady Liberty, for the first time. The statue, an enormous beacon to our highest ideals as a nation, strikes an active pose. Her heel is raised, about to take another step forward, communicating the provocative truth that real welcome is an active, ongoing process. How often do we get complacent and sit back to passively stand by while the challenging surges of life assail us? Can we be moved to practice courageous welcome as an active, open, and curious response to all others? This is the bodhisattva vow. For Koshin, it brings to mind Dogen’s central question: If the “…way is basically perfect and all-pervading…”then  “[w]hat is the use of going off here and there to practice?” When we decide that only some things and some beings matter, we divide what is originally and perfectly whole and “the mind is lost in confusion.” May we practice being open together and learn to include more and more of ourselves and others. “Constantly perform in such a manner,” Dogen teaches, “and you are assured of being a person.”       

ZENTALK NOTES

Koshin Paley Ellison Sensei is a Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, leader in contemplative care, and co-founder of an educational non-profit called the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. His books, grounded in Buddhist wisdom and practice, have gained national attention. Through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices, the New York Zen Center touches thousands of lives every year.

Heart Sutra by Kanho Yakushiji –  Buddhist priest and musician of the Rinzai sect and Imaji temple in Imabari, Japan. In 2003, he formed “KISSAQUO”, a songwriting duo based in Kyoto.

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“When the mind calms down, we can treat ourselves and others more authentically.” – Chodo Campbell 

Morality and right ethical conduct is not about appearing a certain way or trying to look good. Doing what is right is about owning your own shit, vowing with every misstep to act more skillfully, and continuing to practice what you truly value with others. How can you pull yourself together over and over again to experience a life of freedom and connection?  

In this dharma talk, Chodo Sensei explores Sila, the paramita of ethical conduct or moral discipline. The occasion for these teachings is the Contemplative Care Retreat which gathered around the theme of “The Nobility of Imperfection”. Beginning with the verse of atonement, Chodo invites us to face our minds and actions exactly as they are in the messiness and confusion of life. Drawing on his own experiences and the insight from Norman Fischer that “…wrong conduct unsettles the mind and heart…,” we are encouraged to find our breath and take our seats to help settle our minds and ground ourselves in this moment.  It is difficult to see what is fresh and new when we are caught up in the swirl of unskillful behaviors, Chodo tells us. How can we interrupt unhealthy habits and begin again, right now? This talk concludes with Zen Master Raven and daffodils teaching us more about liberation.   

ZENTALK NOTES

Chodo Campbell Sensei is a Zen teacher, bereavement specialist, grief counselor and a recognized leader for those suffering with the complexities of death & dying, aging, and sobriety.  The educational non-profit he co-founded, the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, touches thousands of lives every year through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices. Chodo has been featured in the New York Times, PBS, CBS Sunday Morning and other media outlets. 

Heart Sutra by Kanho Yakushiji –  Buddhist priest and musician of the Rinzai sect and Imaji temple in Imabari, Japan. In 2003, he formed “KISSAQUO”, a songwriting duo based in Kyoto.

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“Living fully is not an idea. Tenderness and compassion are always the barometer of how practice is going.” – Koshin Paley Ellison

Uncertainty about elections. Dozens of active wars around the globe. “Where do you focus?” Koshin Sensei asks. What practice guides your life? 

In this recent dharma talk, Koshin Sensei names where we find ourselves. Within the whirls of conflict, chaos, confusion, and upheaval we must be evermore receptive. The dharmas are boundless. What we celebrate and we what we abhor are opportunities to remain grounded in our practice. What grounds your practice, your life? Seeking after the right view and learning to act wisely means understanding that ethical precepts are not ideas. Living fully is not an idea. How are you able to approach others with tenderness and compassion? Koshin asks us to reflect on this question by turning our attention to teachings from Dogen Zenji’s work entitled Zenki, or “Full Function”. The founder of the Soto Zen lineage of Buddhism writes that “…there is leaving life and death, and there is entering life and death; and both are the great way exhaustively investigated.” What would it look like for you to be fully functioning in all your relationships? Together, with tenderness and compassion, may we exhaustively investigate how we are showing up in the world.   

ZENTALK NOTES

Koshin Paley Ellison Sensei is a Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, leader in contemplative care, and co-founder of an educational non-profit called the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. His books, grounded in Buddhist wisdom and practice, have gained national attention. Through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices, the New York Zen Center touches thousands of lives every year.

Heart Sutra by Kanho Yakushiji –  Buddhist priest and musician of the Rinzai sect and Imaji temple in Imabari, Japan. In 2003, he formed “KISSAQUO”, a songwriting duo based in Kyoto.

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“If we are going to maintain our practice carefully, we have to pay careful attention to what we think is not welcome.” – Koshin Paley Ellison

Our lives are complicated. Full of love and light; anger and judgment. Can we resist deciding too quickly what should and should not be welcomed in? 

In this recent dharma talk, Koshin Sensei shares teachings from Dogen Zenji about the precepts. “The great precepts of the Buddha are maintained carefully.” and “Receiving the precepts we are beyond the three times.” These gems are explored by Koshin as he offers his remarks directly after returning from a retreat with participants in the New York Zen Center’s Contemplative Medicine Fellowship. The Fellows, as medical professionals, have committed to living the bodhisattva vow to help others. But, like all of us, how they think, talk to themselves, and function in the world gets chunky and gunky. The heart-mind needs to be regularly swept clean. We should be carefully maintaining our practice by looking directly, and without flinching, at everything coming up within ourselves and happening in our relationships. “We are sure that what we think is true, and then we meet other people,” Koshin reminds us. Are we able to welcome all others as important teachers?  Shakyamuni Buddha, the great stories tell us, actually welcomed Mara in. We are encouraged to learn and understand what all of life has to teach us, perhaps especially from those we despise or find disgusting. Anyone who gets under our skin may be the best spiritual friend. They show you where the limits of your compassion are. May we practice being direct and unflinching with what our lives are showing us and be open to constantly learning together how to be more spacious and connected.  

ZENTALK NOTES

Koshin Paley Ellison Sensei is a Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, leader in contemplative care, and co-founder of an educational non-profit called the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. His books, grounded in Buddhist wisdom and practice, have gained national attention. Through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices, the New York Zen Center touches thousands of lives every year.

Heart Sutra by Kanho Yakushiji –  Buddhist priest and musician of the Rinzai sect and Imaji temple in Imabari, Japan. In 2003, he formed “KISSAQUO”, a songwriting duo based in Kyoto.

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“How are you indulging your bulls@$t? How are you indulging your mistaken understandings?” – Koshin Paley Ellison 

The awakening Way is not an idea. How can we free ourselves from the ideas of practice in order to practice? 

In this recent dharma talk, Koshin Sensei continues to engage with Dogen Zenji’s “Deportment of the Practicing Buddha” by paying close attention to the following lines: “Those who are not practicing buddhas are not yet liberated from the bonds of the buddha…’Bonds of the buddha,’ means precisely to be bound by the very knowledge, the very understanding that knows and understands bodhi as bodhi. We pass through each moment of thought without expectation of a time of liberation, vainly given over to our mistaken understandings. To understand bodhi as bodhi must be the knowledge that accords with bodhi.” Koshin encourages us to see how we can get caught up in our concepts and assumptions about what a practicing Buddha is. How do you not get bound up by an idea and just show up to do what is loving and kind? When we practice fully engaging with what each moment has to offer, we see the destruction and pain and separation all around us. We confront the sorrows of this world. But there is always more. When we are open, Koshin teaches, “joy is also possible where we think it isn’t. Sorrow and joy are side by side.” When we live our lives in service to others, we will receive feedback and notice opportunities to learn to flow with praise and correction. “Everything can be used to see the quality of your mind,” Koshin reminds us in this talk. How are you vainly given over to your mistaken understandings? How can you completely show up for others with love and compassion?    

ZENTALK NOTES

Koshin Paley Ellison Sensei is a Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, leader in contemplative care, and co-founder of an educational non-profit called the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. His books, grounded in Buddhist wisdom and practice, have gained national attention. Through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices, the New York Zen Center touches thousands of lives every year.

Heart Sutra by Kanho Yakushiji –  Buddhist priest and musician of the Rinzai sect and Imaji temple in Imabari, Japan. In 2003, he formed “KISSAQUO”, a songwriting duo based in Kyoto.

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