Umi presents the notion that embodying Zen means cultivating an indomitable spirit that is not driven by fleeting emotions or personal desires, but rooted in a deeper connection to life itself—referred to as “pure selfless awareness.”
So these feelings, generally categorized as over-excitement and anxiety, or under-excitement and depression, are cues that we’re not trusting.
If we feel either of those things, it means that our nervous system is dealing with some level of mistrust.
We haven’t really said, you know what?
I am life itself unfolding.
Explore impermanence, reclaim power from karma, and align through tantric and Mahayana practices.”
The talk you shared from September 8, 2024, delves into the concept of split personalities and disassociative phenomena within Zen practice. It encourages practitioners to embrace and integrate all aspects of themselves, even the ones that might not align with their ideal self-image. This approach highlights the importance of radical acceptance and love for all parts of oneself, facilitating the journey toward becoming a whole and skillful bodhisattva.
Buddha is the fundamental aliveness of the universe. To touch divinity is to touch the very quality of our creative, self-sustaining awareness of life, right?
And that’s kind of hard to understand, in the sense that there’s lots of things that we don’t like about life.