Zuigan Calls His Master - Mumonkan 12

What is the relationship between the big “eternal” spiritual mind and our small lonely or calculative mind? How to live our daily lives in these times of polycrisis and systemic oppression?

This talk by Sensei Kanko (Dr. Kritee) flows like a compassionate boat running down a wild river and embodies a deep spontaneity. Here, she guides listeners through Zuigan's paradoxical koan—calling his own self "Master!" and then answering "Yes sir!"—to explore who these two selves “Master” and “Attendent/student” are within us: Perhaps the observer vs. the observed or the experiencing mind vs. the experience, or the small critical or lonely self vs. the vast blue sky mind. With humor and vulnerability (including her early fear that enlightenment would steal her partner away), she challenges masculine Zen's "get enlightenment at all costs" approach. She instead advocates for embodying a "curious, kind and patient host" to all clouds that visit our consciousness—even very painful clouds like fear of death or feeling unlovable.

Weaving together insights from Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, Tibetan demon-feeding spiritual practices, and Hindu wisdom traditions, Kanko also emphasizes the need for a crucial discernment: distinguishing personal struggles we can address through spiritual practice from systemic oppression. While traditional Buddhism might say "go back to your breath and hara" for every problem, Kanko insists we recognize when issues stem from societal trauma (e.g., millennial’s inability to afford housing or womxn’s inability to get education in patriarchal systems). She also teaches how we can integrate three pillars of Zen practice in our lives: faith, determination, and great curiosity.

Sensei Kanko gave this talk during the last day of May 2019 Zen retreat (sesshin).

Thank you for listening to the Boundless in Motion podcast. You can access more information about our programs and retreats by going to www.boundlessinmotion.org or www.kriteekanko.com