Good For Nothing

In Soto Zen practice we say, "Zazen is good for nothing." Or we say, "You should sit without any gaining idea?" There is a disturbing paradox here: We all start to practice because we want an answer to an existential question or a solution to a deep-seated problem, and yet the teaching tells us to just sit and allow our moment-to-moment experiencing to be exactly what it is—not expecting any improvement, not even enlightenment. This talk explores how this good-for-nothing approach to zazen helps us have confidence in our true nature. Rooted in this confidence, we can begin to treat our seemingly existential problems as practical issues that inevitably come with being alive as a human being.Welcome to Zen Mind!Zenki Roshi's book, THE PATH OF ALIVENESS (https://www.amazon.com/Path-Aliveness-Contemporary-Approach-Awakening/dp/1611809975/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1673985096&sr=8-1) is now available in both hardcopy and audiobook formats! We appreciate you leaving a rating on Amazon, and if you have time, a review is even better!Join us live for our Saturday Dharma talks (https://www.boulderzen.org/saturday-dharma-talks), in person or online.See all events and join our mailing list at www.boulderzen.org (https://boulderzen.krtra.com/t/byTESd6XLtlF). Email us at [email protected] or give us a call: (303) 442–3007.If you're enjoying these talks, please subscribe and leave us a rating or review!Zenki Christian Dillo Roshi is the the guiding teacher at the Boulder Zen Center in Colorado, USA. This podcast shares the regular dharma talks given at the center. Zenki Roshi approaches Zen practice as a craft of transformation, liberation, wisdom and compassionate action. His interest is to bring Buddhism alive within the Western cultural context, while staying committed to the traditional emphasis on embodiment.