Ryutetsuma the Old Female Buffalo (2017, classic, one of the first talks by Sensei Kanko) - Hekiganroku 24

Get drunk on Mu and strategize. This talk addresses how  “masculine” Rinzai Zen and feminine ancient Indian path of bhakti can come together. And what we can do after we have drunk the finest wine called Mu. 

Mu is a Buddhist word for fundamental zeroness and absolute mind. Can the importance of societal change, divine feminine, and respect for multicultural spiritual traditions find a place even in the most rigorous Zen retreats, where people meditate day and night to achieve enlightenment? What is the way to balance the masculine and feminine aspects of spiritual life in these times of acute climate crisis? Here, feminine and masculine do not refer to gender or sexuality - they are like Yin and Yang. The feminine (Yin) refers to earth and water elements, and the qualities of resting, surrendering, intuitiveness, embracing and nurturing. Masculine (Yang) refers to air and fire elements and qualities of activity, resistance, rational linear thinking, hardening and expanding.

This classic talk was one of the earliest public teishos that Sensei Kritee Kanko (Ph.D.) gave as an independent Zen teacher. In 2017, Sensei was given the honor of delivering this talk at the Seattle Choboji Sangha’s Rohatsu Sesshin, notable for its intense yaza (overnight sitting) schedule. Choboji was initially founded by a sangha that included Kritee’s dharma-grandfather, Glenn Kangan Webb.

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