Aspiring, Not Grasping | Chodo Campbell

“It turns out that we don’t really change until we completely commit, especially when things are hard.” – Koshin    We all can feel lonely and isolated sometimes. And, at the very same time, we are often reluctant to participate and engage with what is all around us. Koshin Sensei encourages us not to hold […] The post Clarify the Mind-Ground | Koshin Paley Ellison appeared first on New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.

“We are caught in unawareness, in delusion, when our minds grasp after what isn’t really here and right in front of us.” – Chodo   Our minds are constantly grasping after shiny objects – names, concepts, ideas, stories. There is a long history in Buddhism of referring to this cognitive tendency as our monkey mind. […] The post Aspiring, Not Grasping | Chodo Campbell appeared first on New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.

“Why are you seeking liberation outside of yourself?” – Jianzhi    We all can feel bound up sometimes. And for good reason, depending on the life circumstances we find ourselves in. Over time and with practice, Koshin Sensei encourages us, we can learn to avail ourselves of the freedom and clarity that are always available […] The post Who is Binding You? | Koshin Paley Ellison appeared first on New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.

“How open am I? Who and what do I not welcome in?” – Koshin   Providing safe harbor and true welcome to all others is deeply courageous. The Statue of Liberty symbolizes the bodhisattva vow to exclude nothing and no one from our care and compassion. “How many of us are that open?”     […] The post Actively Welcoming All Beings | Koshin Paley Ellison appeared first on New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.

“When the mind calms down, we can treat ourselves and others more authentically.” – Chodo Campbell    Morality and right ethical conduct is not about appearing a certain way or trying to look good. Doing what is right is about owning your own shit, vowing with every misstep to act more skillfully, and continuing to […] The post Pulling Yourself Together | Chodo Campbell appeared first on New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.

“Living fully is not an idea. Tenderness and compassion are always the barometer of how practice is going.” – Koshin Paley Ellison   Uncertainty about elections. Dozens of active wars around the globe. “Where do you focus?” Koshin Sensei asks. What practice guides your life?      In this recent dharma talk, Koshin Sensei names […] The post Full Functioning Tenderness and Compassion | Koshin Paley Ellison appeared first on New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.

“If we are going to maintain our practice carefully, we have to pay careful attention to what we think is not welcome.” – Koshin Paley Ellison   Our lives are complicated. Full of love and light; anger and judgment. Can we resist deciding too quickly what should and should not be welcomed in?    In […] The post Direct and Unflinching | Koshin Paley Ellison appeared first on New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.

“How are you indulging your bulls@$t? How are you indulging your mistaken understandings?” – Koshin Paley Ellison    The awakening Way is not an idea. How can we free ourselves from the ideas of practice in order to practice?    In this recent dharma talk, Koshin Sensei continues to engage with Dogen Zenji’s “Deportment of […] The post Bonds of the Buddha | Koshin Paley Ellison appeared first on New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.

“It is not enough that your carcass is here. Are you really alive to who you are, who you’re with, and what is around you in this moment?”  – Koshin Paley Ellison    Can you bring more liveliness into your life? Whether walking down the street or sitting zazen, Koshin Sensei invites us to practice […] The post Bringing Liveliness into Everything You Do | Koshin Paley Ellison appeared first on New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.

“We need enthusiasm for practice to meet this opportunity, to show up to our life, right now.” – Koshin   Can you bring increased vigor and enthusiasm to your relationships, to your life? The pāramitā of virya is active and connecting. It does not have to appear or sound a certain way, but being vigorous […] The post Enthusiasm In Relationship | Koshin Paley Ellison appeared first on New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.