“Devotion is expressed through your dedicated practice.” – Harada Roshi

Many of us hold back. Why not completely throw yourself in? Wholehearted commitment is about showing up to every moment of your life. This is the practice and, for Chodo Sensei, what devotion looks like.  

In this recent dharma talk, Chodo leans into the teachings of Harada Roshi on devotion. When we set down our tired, old stories and worn-out ideas, we are free to join the world in a new way. The earliest accounts of dharma transmission from Shakyamuni Buddha to Mahakashyapa and Ananda speak to this liberation. Chodo reminds us that there is clarity and connection when we set down who we think we are and fully meet what is in front of us. Devotion is about being who we are. Not having to pretend. Chodo offers several different gifts of devotion from tending to the geraniums and loyalty to our relationships to the commitment we make to care for others.  Of course, it is possible to be devoted to causing trouble. We all know those who seem to be dedicated to selfishness and dissension. All of us fall back into these old patterns. But, as Zen Master Raven teaches, in “The Good Practice” it is about coming back again and again and again.  

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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• 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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The post The Gifts of Devotion | Chodo Campbell appeared first on New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.