Opening to The Beyond
So look carefully today at your karmic inheritance in the small self. Notice where the small self is centered, what it’s trying to accomplish, and what story it’s attempting to weave.
From Boundaries to Boundless
Reach out. Make a difference for someone else. In that action, you’ll discover where the true abode of self is—boundless and expansive. And in helping someone else, you’ll find the liberation of your own self. That’s a remarkable kensho, a way of opening to your true nature.
Jizo Plants the Field | Shōyōroku Case Twelve
This case calls us to drop our attachment to ideas about what life should be. Stop overcomplicating things. Life is exactly as it presents itself, right now. The Buddhadharma isn’t something to be debated; it’s something to be lived.
Join the Dance of Life
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.
Transforming Pain into Wisdom
Life will present us with moments that shake us to our core, that cause us to experience discomfort and pain. But what we often overlook is how much of our suffering is self-created—the stories we build around that pain.
Let Go, and Be Found
So begin by letting go. Release what you think you know. Approach your life from a state of wonder, and don’t think, “I’ll recognize enlightenment when I see it.”
Kyozan’s State of Mind | Shoyoroku Case 32
A teisho by Sensei Michael given at the close of Autumn Tranquility Weekend Meditation Retreat in September of 2024...
Emptiness and Enlightenment: The Zen Teaching of Nan-in
Nan-in's invitation to "empty your cup" is an invitation to approach life with openness, humility, and receptivity – living in a state of wonder - the path of enlightenment.
HIDDEN SAGE REVEALED
When we stand outside the mountains, gazing at them from a distance, we perceive them with a particular set of eyes—the "crown and eyes" of our conditioned thoughts. Only when we are actualized by the mountains do we meet them.
PROFOUNDLY MUNDANE
Essentially, this passage serves as a guiding light, encouraging us to fully appreciate our lives, unburdened by the veils of judgment and the narratives we construct.