Opening the Denko-e sesshin, introducing the theme of light
We speak of "denko," transmission of light. What kind of light? It is something which shines, sometimes externally, sometimes internally. There is brightness which you sense within your body, and bright light outside of your body.
Describing how transmitted light manifests
The light that is transmitted comes out of people. I don't see it myself, in me, but I see it in others. This light is not always constant. Like a firefly, the light is generated inside.
Drawing on Upanishadic tradition to describe inner light
In our heart, according to the Upanishads, is Atman, and in the center of Atman are a billion Atmans. And in there is a light.
Connecting inner light to hope and continuity
Sensing the light within you is really the same as expecting a new day tomorrow. If there is a future, there is a light coming from it.
Personal description of his zazen experience
Most of the time my sitting is utterly dark, and very warm. It feels like a fermented junkyard. Yet once in a while a forgotten jewel is in there. When I pull it out, it shines.
Reflecting on the fundamental aloneness of existence
Being born, all of a sudden, without knowing that we are going to be given life on this earth, even though our parents care for us and we are given necessities and education, still, we are basically alone.
Encouraging solitary practice with way-seeking mind as guide
And yet, true religion is totally accomplished only by yourself. You don't need anybody else besides you. So if you do not have accurate, proper guidance for your spiritual seeking, you had better practice alone, even if you don't have a guiding torch to measure your position. Your way-mind itself is a torch, burning fire.
Teaching that wisdom is discovered from within, not received from outside
Your physical body is the ground where knowledge and understanding arise. They are not given to you, but discovered from you, as you receive or reflect on teaching. Otherwise, there is no teaching coming to you. The treasure is within you.
Metaphor for individual life within the vast ancestral lineage
One life is like a little spring plum blossom, blooming on an aged, aged plum tree. The tree has moss all over it and you are blooming at the tip of a little green new branch.
Closing statement on the foundation of practice
At the very beginning of practice, faith in yourself is absolutely necessary. It is the content of way-seeking mind.
Personal reflection on the function of zazen
I often feel that the action of zazen saves me from so much heaviness of life. It brings me back to where I started.
Zazen as illumination reaching through ancestral time
Sitting is like that. It makes the wind go through and the light shine in. This is not just your own short life, this life; it involves the roots, the previous lives of your ancestors.