Shinzan Palma: Seeing Who We Really Are – Fall Practice Period 2022 (10 of 11)

Sensei Shinzan Palma talks about how to deal with discomfort and pain during sesshin, and asks the question, why do we put ourselves through a process that is so difficult? If we made it easier, we may have moments of peace, but there is no guarantee that we’re not going to see ourselves and experience the pain that that often entails. The word “sesshin” means to touch the heart-mind; to confront reality. The pain, self-doubt, and hindrances compose the field on which we learn to be more compassionate towards ourselves and in turn others. It is worth noticing, Shinzan suggests, that often when painful memories arise during zazen, especially during intensive sessions like sesshin, there is an opportunity to liberate these experiences that we’ve neither processed nor let go of. In Hongzhi’s words, there is no place other than ourselves, and sesshin provides a precious opportunity to realize what this place truly is. To access the resources page for this program, please sign up by clicking here. For Program/Series description and to access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: SPRING PRACTICE PERIOD 2022: Cultivating the Empty Field