In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei James Fushin explores vulnerability as a profound gateway to awakening. Drawing from the Vimalakirti Sutra and physicist Brian Cox’s question—”How do we live a finite, fragile life in an infinite, eternal universe?”—Fushin reflects on illness, silence, and the dissolution of self and other as pathways to true healing. From Vimalakirti’s teaching, “Because all beings are sick, I am sick,” he expands on the notion of interconnected suffering and healing, saying, “Vulnerability really is a dharma gate for all of us, because beyond Vimalakirti’s own compassionate identification with suffering, he’s identifying with the suffering of the world—and from that, being a bodhisattva to relieve that suffering.” Fushin weaves together personal stories—his relationship with his father, Roshi Joan’s recent heart surgeries, and a Palestinian-Israeli friendship—showing vulnerability as the ground of intimacy and peace. Reflecting on a brief moment with his father, he tenderly offers: “I think all of us miss moments to show up to vulnerability. You know, we’re not quite able to meet it. I mean, we feel it, but we can’t quite meet it. And I just want to tell you… don’t let it stop you.” Fushin emphasizes that tenderness is not weakness but the most honest response to impermanence. Ultimately, he invites us to companion our vulnerability with awareness, embodying compassion in this brief constellation of being.