Genjo Koan (Part 2): Flowers Fall, Weeds Spread

Zen Mind

This talk is the second in the series on Dogen's Genjo Koan. It is a close reading of the first four sentences. First, it provides an understanding of dharmas as momentary experiential units. Then it discusses Dogen's seemingly contradictory presentation of the dharma (the teaching of liberation) in light of the classic path of awakening, the teaching of emptiness, and an approach that doesn't get caught in one or the other. The talk ends with a threefold reading of the famous line, "In attachment flowers fall, and in aversion weeds spread." One important lesson is that Zen doesn't aim at transcending our humanity but at arriving more fully in it.
We are excited to announce the self-paced course on Dogen’s Genjo Koan is live! There you can find all the rest of the dharma talks in this Genjo Koan series. The course helps make Dogen’s text more accessible and bring his teachings into our everyday lives. Learn more here.
Welcome to Zen Mind!
Love the dharma talks and want to hear more? Become a Premium Podcast subscriber. Dive deeper into the topics through Q&A sessions related to each of the talks. You can even ask questions of your own through the 'Ask Me Anything' platform and gain access to previously unpublished talks from intensives. Learn more here: https://zenmind.supercast.com/
Zenki Roshi's book, THE PATH OF ALIVENESS 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, in person or online.
See all events and join our mailing list at www.boulderzen.org. Email us at [e-mail] 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.