Joan Halifax: Rohatsu Sesshin 2021 (Part 7 of 7)

In this final talk of Upaya’s 2021 Rohatsu Sesshin, Roshi Joan Halifax suggests that we will never discover who we really are by running away from our pain, but only in lovingly touching our difficulties, just as they appear in the present moment. When we’re really present to what is happening right now, we will discover that we have the capacity and the freedom to treat ourselves and others with patience and compassion. And this, Roshi Joan points out, is precisely what we practice on the cushion: being present in an unconstructed way that is precise, warm, and inclusive. When we relax into the present as it is, without aggression, without resistance, we may understand what Dogen means in his Mountains and Rivers Sutra when he says that the Great Way is to flow like water and be still like the mountains. To access the resources page for this program, please sign up by clicking here. For Program/Series description and to access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: Rohatsu: Mountains and Rivers 2021