“Zen is not interested in making us feel good. It is about being real. Sometimes this feels good. Sometimes this feels awful.”

In this dharma talk, Koshin Sensei celebrates the graduates of our Contemplative Medicine Fellowship, reflects on the teachings of Dogen guiding our current ango period (Commit to Sit), and invites us to ask: What are the roots of goodness?

It’s a question that feels both timely and timeless. Koshin reminds us that goodness means taking responsibility for who we are and how we live. We atone for our missteps, honor our resets, and stay in relationship — even when it’s uncomfortable.

With gentle clarity, he encourages us to notice our cravings, our attachments to comfort, and the way they can obstruct connection — with ourselves and with others.

May we meet this moment as we are. That is everything.