This talk concludes the line-by-line commentary on the Genjo Koan. Dogen has given us a clear (and maybe disappointing) vision of practice. We are never done with our practice. It's not like we are practicing in order to reach enlightenment, and once we have realized it, we're good. Instead, we are challenged to express enlightenment through our practice — one moment and one action at a time. From this emerges a revised understanding of Buddha-nature. Buddha-nature is not something we HAVE—like a jewel at the core of every being that can be uncovered by removing endless layers of dirt (afflictions, bad habits, mindless distractions). And we don't become a "Buddha-person" if we just practice diligently and hard enough. Rather, we realize the Buddha-nature we always already ARE by continuously enacting "Buddha-moments" of non-reactivity and response-ability.

We are excited to announce the self-paced course on Dogen’s Genjo Koan is live! There you can find all the rest of the dharma talks in this Genjo Koan series. The course helps make Dogen’s text more accessible and bring his teachings into our everyday lives. Learn more here.

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Zenki Christian Dillo Roshi is the the guiding teacher at the Boulder Zen Center in Colorado, USA. This podcast shares the regular dharma talks given at the center. Zenki Roshi approaches Zen practice as a craft of transformation, liberation, wisdom and compassionate action. His interest is to bring Buddhism alive within the Western cultural context, while staying committed to the traditional emphasis on embodiment.