What We Turn Our Attention To - Hogen, Roshi

In this sesshin talk, Hōgen Roshi reflects on the heart of practice through the teachings of the Xin Xin Ming. He emphasizes that “what we turn our attention to becomes our world,” encouraging practitioners to stop believing the habitual thoughts that create suffering and to turn instead toward the intimate, living ground of experience—breath, aliveness, clarity, and ease. Through stories, humor, and examples from daily life, he illustrates how fixed beliefs obscure this root and how sesshin supports us in seeing beyond them. Hōgen reminds us that spiritual maturity does not come from thinking or emotion but from repeatedly returning to the still, spacious refuge at the center of our being. From this foundation, doubts fall away and genuine confidence in our true nature begins to grow.
This talk was given during the 2025 Ancient Way Sesshin.