Lessons From the Han
Summary
Jikai Vicki shares her journey from a rebellious Catholic upbringing to Zen practice, explaining how she overcame resistance to ritual to take the bodhisattva vows and receive lay entrustment. She reflects on the significance of the hon, the wooden board used to call the community to meditation, and its inscriptions regarding birth, death, and presence. The talk explores the impermanence of life and the nature of non-self, urging practitioners to transform suffering into freedom by staying present rather than escaping into distraction.
Topics discussed
Podcast introduction and welcome
Greeting and the metaphor of rain quenching thirst
Speaker introduction and orientation for new Zen practitioners
Personal history: From Catholicism to Buddhism
Rebellion against religious rituals and finding Zen
The Juai training and taking Bodhisattva vows
Lay entrustment and the 'chickens lay eggs' definition
Becoming the Hon player: The call to meditation
The Hon instrument and its inscribed phrases
Physical connection to nature and Dogen's verse
The miracle of birth and the improbability of existence
Non-self, interbeing, and the nature of death
Practicing presence and transforming suffering
Do not waste time: The nature of time and busyness
Dogen and Shitou on the urgency of practice
Conclusion: Responsibility and the call to awaken
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