Kathie Fischer: Vow and Repentance

In this talk about Fusatsu, the full moon ceremony of repentance and vow-renewal, Sensei Kathie Fischer implores us to, as the old folk song says, “study war no more.” Rather than waging battle against our so-called negative emotions, such as anger and jealousy, Kathie suggests that, first, we show them respect (after all, she reminds us, these feelings evolved in order to protect us), and then we trust the practice of returning to our body and breath, gently allowing the emotion to float through our consciousness. To repent, as we do in the ceremony of Fusatsu, is to take responsibility for the thoughts and emotions that keep us from loving others and ourselves well, and to vow to return again and again to our life together in the present moment. To access the resources page for this program, please sign up by clicking here.