“We indulge in our fears way too much in the guise of protecting our freedom.”

In this dharma talk, Koshin Sensei asks us to look closely at what separates us from ourselves and each other. There is difference and we are all one. But our fears hold us back and create distance between us. Fear, at least as ancient as our species, may have kept us alive, but it also confines us to our own little caves. We are invited to look more closely at our fear, to practice with more devotion.

“Devotion is a gateway to oneness,” Koshin teaches. Our lineage is replete with those who cast off ‘myriad involvements’ and ‘just do’ without concern for name and fame. Too often we wait for conditions to change before fully committing. Drawing on the teachings of Dogen Zenji and Kodo Sawaki, Koshin enlivens our devotion to practice and encourages us to see just how interwoven everything is. Are we able to experience our devotion to practice as the gateway through fear and toward connection? 

Koshin Paley Ellison Sensei 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.

• Untangled here: https://bit.ly/untangled-book
  
• Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up here: https://amzn.to/2JTKF1t
  
• Awake At The Bedside here: https://amzn.to/3aijXdL
  

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