
Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast Rohatsu: Undivided Activity
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Dec 8, 2025 Kaz Tanahashi, a renowned Japanese-American calligrapher and Zen teacher, shares profound insights on Rohatsu, celebrating the Buddha's birth, awakening, and passing. He emphasizes the non-division of all things, illustrating emptiness as the 'zero of divisions.' Kaz and Roshi Joan Halifax discuss the Bodhisattva ideal and how everyday acts can embody compassion. They explore the Avatamsaka Sutra's themes of interconnectedness and how recognizing our oneness can transform ethical practices. The conversation reflects on the urgency of service and the relational nature of our vows.
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Emptiness As Undivided Oneness
- Kaz Tanahashi highlights 'zero of divisions' as emptiness meaning no separation between things.
- He frames Prajna-paramita as realization of oneness beyond ordinary wisdom.
Buddha As Human And Cosmic Truth
- Kaz explains the Avatamsaka image of Siddhartha expanding into Vairochana, the Dharma body.
- This shows the Buddha as both historical teacher and universal truth simultaneously.
Renew Freshness Every Sitting
- Be fresh at each moment during practice by renewing attention at every sitting.
- Treat pain, sleepiness, doubt, and fear as invitations to refresh awareness, not obstacles.






