Zen teachings are radical. They go to the root of our suffering and offer the deepest freedom imaginable. There is something so utterly honest and true about them. They speak to our deepest heart’s longing for awakening. They speak to the freedom and joy we intimate as our true nature.

The teachings of Zazen offer an inconceivable freedom. This is the first of a five part video series exploring the Five Radical Practices of Zazen. The first is the Dharma Gate of Joyful Ease.

Allowing joy and ease in our lives can be radical, even on a basic biological level. Zen empowers us to recognize the ease and joy that are inherent in awareness itself. It also empowers us to open our awareness and notice the joy and ease that may be present, even in the midst of depression or chronic pain.

In this series Kisei will explore the Five Radical Practices of Zazen.

The dharma gate of joyful ease

Befriending ourselves

Reclaiming wonderment

Taking the backward step: recognizing spaciousness

Turning the light to shine within: recognizing luminosity

Zen meditation is an invitation to see beyond this apparent separation of self and other. This invitation, when taken up seriously brings one into the heart of what it means to be alive. With the global pandemic and climate crisis turning over some of our most beloved paradigms and beliefs–what does it mean to live with purpose in a changing world?

I wish to consult with the great Zen Master Hongzhi and the contemporary Zen teachers Thich Nhat Hanh and Zenju Earthlyn Manuel to explore this question of meaning. What I find is that I am led to intimacy and love for the living Earth.

I feel fortunate to be in the Zen tradition because it provides a loose form for us to be ourselves. It says, hey--you, you who are always trying so hard...

Sit Down

Relax

Let yourself be quiet for a while

Relax

You don’t need to try to be anything else here

You don’t need to improve yourself in anyway

You can let go of all of that

Just sit

Relax

Just sit