Table of Contents
Foreword Zoketsu Norman Fischer xiii
Preface Eijun Linda Ruth Cutts xvii
Acknowledgments xxi
Part 1 Seeds
The Curiosity of a Child 3
The Habitual State of Mind 4
Coming Back to Yourself 5
How Amazing the World Is 6
The Open Mind 7
Not Chasing after the Past or the Future 7
A Satisfied Life 8
One Who Is Awake 9
The Most Transformative Moment 10
There Is Nothing Missing 11
Being Home 11
Open to Surprise 12
Not Needing Anything More 13
Be Kind to Yourself First 13
Getting Unstuck 15
Respecting Ourselves 16
Respecting Things 17
Our Practice Is to Help People 18
Zen Practice Each Moment 19
Just Being Alive Is Enough 20
Responsibility for the Gift of Life 21
Good Evening, Bodhisattvas 21
It's All about Love and Joy 22
How to Live If You're Going to Die 23
Peaceful Repose 24
The Great Matter of Life and Death 25
Mindfulness of Body and Breath 26
Falling in Love All the Time 27
Like a Swinging Door 28
Our Habits Are Very Strong 29
Sharing Life 31
Opening to Kindness 32
Living a Beneficial Life 32
Present Moment 34
We Are Identical to Everyone and Everything 34
Continuous Effort 35
We Are Naturally Compassionate 36
Taming Judgment 37
Sitting Zazen 38
Zazen Sits Zazen 39
A Greatly Enlightened Being Is Subject to Everything 40
The Intimacy of Zen Practice 41
Capacity for Kindness 43
Living a Life of Vow 44
Initiation and Ordination 46
What Is a Zen Priest? 47
Reenergizing the Life 49
The Everydayness of Birth 50
Each One of Us Contains the Whole Universe 51
Everything You Need or Ever Wanted Is Right Here 52
There Is Always Perfect Dharma 53
No Distinctions, Just Ordinary 53
We Are Already It 54
The Vitality of Life 56
Blooming into Ourselves 57
Being Just This One 58
Part 2 Dharma Talks
Free from Thoughts of Yourself 63
Fearlessness 67
Saying "Yes!" 70
Gladdening the Mind 73
Right Where You're Standing 78
Part 3 Seeds of Advice
Addicted to Meditation 85
Abortion 86
Having a Teacher or Not 87
The Gap between Self and Other 88
Passion 88
Animals and Buddha Dharma 89
Realization or Still Deluded 91
Deepening One's Practice without Resources 92
Depression 93
Reincarnation 95
Practicing More Than One Buddhist Tradition 97
Remaining Open to Other Buddhist Traditions 98
Sharing Dharma with Children 99
Feeling Like an Alien in the World 100
Being Ordained to Be Enlightened: True or False? 101
Nonviolence in the Midst of Violence 104
Long Retreats versus Everyday Life as Practice 106
Understanding the Suffering of Others 107
Pattern of Being Argumentative 108
Wrathful Teachers 110
Abusive Relationships 111
Sexuality in Sangha or Community 113
Fixing Others 115
Interfaith Marriage 116
Practicing Guilt or Generosity? 118
Rebirth and No Self 119
Illnesses of the Mind 120
Balancing Study and Practice 122
Living This Life 124
Preconceived Notions 126
Still Succumbing to Emotions and Old Habits 127
State of Mind and Practice 129
Constant Thinking 131
Life-Threatening Illness: Accepting Impermanence but Hoping 133
Going from One Teacher to the Next 134
Toxic People 136
Notes 139
Biography 141
