Zen Community of Oregon Dharma Talks The Foundation of Sesshin - Hogen Roshi
Mar 29, 2025
Hogen Roshi, a prominent teacher at Great Vow Zen Monastery, dives deep into the essence of Sesshin. He emphasizes the sacredness of direct awareness and its role in Zazen meditation, comparing it to appreciating music without distractions. The discussion touches on the Platform Sutra's profound teachings, exploring non-duality and the historical evolution of Buddhism. Hogen elucidates Bodhidharma's insights on presence, humility, and the journey towards enlightenment, underscoring that true peace comes from letting go of arrogance and embracing our shared realities.
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Zazen as Direct Awareness
- Zazen is the direct experiencing of the present moment, free from opinions and judgments.
- It is the sacred art of being lived by the world, rooted in pure awareness.
Non-dual Nature of Awareness
- Awareness itself embodies truth and is non-dual; awareness and its objects are inseparable.
- Enlightenment is waking up to this unity of awareness aware of itself with no separate self.
Bodhidharma and Emperor Wu
- Bodhidharma told Emperor Wu that all his religious deeds yield no merit or benefit.
- Instead, he said what one truly gets is this very moment of alive, awake life right here.
