Join the Dance of Life

This is a transcript of an Early Morning Light talk given at One River Zen. Why get them second-hand? Join us for meditation from 6:30 to 7:15 AM CST, Monday through Friday, and hear these talks in real time. Start your day immersed in wisdom and community as we sit together and explore the path of practice.

We're all born into the river of Samsara, the river of suffering, riding on a small raft we call “I,” propelled by the karmic momentum of our human essence. At first, the waters are calm, and the raft is small, nimble, and open to the world as it is. If I cry, I’m fed. If I’m soiled, I’m changed. Life flows naturally.

But over time, that raft grows larger and more sophisticated, and soon it begins to move under its own effort. We start aggrandizing this “I,” standing in stark opposition to the flow of our lives. At the end of the day, you do what you want—if you keep building, clinging to that raft, the current of suffering will only grow stronger, carrying you along with it, deeper into separation.

But if you want liberation—not just for yourself, but for everything you encounter, which is ultimately yourself—then let go. Join the dance that is your life. Be actualized by the circumstances as they present themselves, not as you think they should be. When you do this, compassion arises naturally—compassion for yourself, for others, for all beings. And with that compassion, liberation follows.

We awaken together. It starts with the simple act of sitting and bearing witness to your life in Zazen. Sometimes, it deepens when we meet in the little room during Dokusan to face our karmic patterns and transcend them. But ultimately, you do what you want. So today, make a decision. Stop being carried by the river, and instead, become the refuge that carries all.

#Samsara #Zazen #CompassionInAction #LetGoAndAwaken #ZenPractice #OneRiverZen #Dokusan