Weekend Seminar

with Zenki Dillo Roshi

In-person or Online Participation

Sept 29 - Oct 1, 2023

What Is Compassion?

The Whole Body is Hands and Eyes

The Weekend Seminar kicks off this years 'Foundational Zen Teachings' course on 'Compassionate Action.' The seminar can also be attended separately from the course.

For many people, becoming a more compassionate person is one of the main inspirations for being on a spiritual path.

Through zazen, dharma talks, question and answer sessions, and small group discussions, we will explore what compassion is in our own experience and how a "right view" of compassion can translate into practice and action.

A famous koan story poses the question, "What does the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion do with his myriad hands and eyes?" Part of the answer is the phrase, "The whole body is hands and eyes."

Often, compassion is viewed as a virtue that we should simply have more of. However, we cannot will ourselves to be more compassionate. Instead, compassionate action arises from an always already existing bodily sensitivity and from the ability to resonate and connect with others, and to respond appropriately.

Once we know what to look for and what to emphasize, these are aspects of our being we can bring attention to, deepen through practice, and refine in our daily actions.