The Deep Mind of Zen (Jun Po Roshi)

Zen teaches the insight of the Buddha, that meditation brings an end to suffering. As esoteric as this may sound, it's an empirical fact. Ordinary people meditate and find their experience—their entire world—transformed. The poetry of their language is not myth, but an effort to do justice to their experience. When you taste the deep clear intelligence at the heart of being, nothing is left untouched.

If you wish to claim your heritage as the Buddha, the Awakened One, your best option is to find a masterful teacher such as Jun Po Roshi. With his koan dialogue process, you will learn to clear away the obscurations of a fixated mind and discover a clear, ordinary mind brimming with insight and compassion. You will begin to experience your own identity as vast, unconstrained, fearless, timeless—and eternally wakeful.

The first part of this dialogue touches on the role of language in meditative insight and the importance of articulating a worldview that reflects your insight. You'll also find discussions on compassion and transmission, as well as an amusing and informative contrast of the Soto and Rinzai schools of Zen.

This is the first of a three-part series on Integral Life. Watch parts 2 and 3 here:

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