No Need To Escape

Genjo Marinello Osho recently released an incredibly beautiful teisho called, Keichu (pronounced Kay-chu) makes carts. He gave this talk on the fifth day of Rohatsu Sesshin, which really captures the heart of Zen, unifying heart-mind.

He starts by saying, "Hakuin tells us, but if we can concentrate within, and testify to the truth that self-nature is no nature, we have really gone beyond foolish talk. At this moment what more need we seek, as the truth eternally reveals Itself. This very place is the lotus land of purity. And This very body is the body of the Buddha.

There are parts of us that will cry out in thirst so imploringly, even in the midst of fresh water. We cannot escape our infantile nature, nor can we escape the parts laid down in our karmic past. Nor while we are alive can we escape eating and breathing and sitting. But even though we cannot escape, we can realize that there is no need to escape.

If we can transcend our artificial, conceptual barriers of self, then there's no need to escape. There's not even an need to escape our idea of self and we can't anyway, any more than we can erase our own history, or our gender... But we say through practice, we can transcend self, we can transcend history, we can transcend patterns, we can transcend karma, we can transcend life and death. It does not mean escaping any of these things.

All we need to do is concentrate within... come to the realization so strong that we can testify to the fact that so-called self nature is really no nature at all. Then we go beyond any need to escape. And if we can penetrate this no self or beyond self then right where we are is the lotus land of purity and it is a good day to live..."

If you would like to hear Genjo Osho's complete teisho, you can listen to it for free at Choboji's Podcast or the web. It's also available on iTunes as well, at no charge.

It can be extremely helpful to listen to the teisho in its entirety. It goes very far and deep, expressing a grace and entanglement that has zero limit.

May Your Life Go Well,

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
digitalZENDO

Comments

[jacyn rebekah]

Jaye- Thanks for your writing here. I discovered you at the very beginning of the year and I've been enjoying the thoughtfulness your posts invoke. I hope to soon take time and read some of the past posts as well.

I knew Genjo Marinello when I was a child and many things I discussed with him then stuck through into my adult life. It's nice to see the wide reach his teaching have.

[jayeZERO]

Jacyn,

Thank you for your comment. I too feel deeply fortunate to have such clear, compassionate and present teacher in my life.

With Happiness,

~Seiho