Caught by our True Nature

Caught by our True Nature

Author: Amy Kisei February 17, 2024 Duration: 33:12

We explore the confusion or doubt that can come in when we habits return after having a taste of awakening. We also talk about how the mind will often try to recreate the peak experience, and how to meet that inclination.

The heart of this stage is a deepening of faith, an awakening of devotion for the path and perhaps even beginning to recognize that we can’t fall off the OX, we can’t possibly lose our true nature—for it has been here all along. We are never separate from it!

This stage can also deepen our commitment to continue to practice, trusting that it is possible to awaken to our true nature in a more sustaining way. Here we see how inclusive this path really is!

Thank you for your support! Consider becoming a paid subscriber or sharing this with someone you think would enjoy it!

Blessings + Love,

Kisei



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amykisei.substack.com/subscribe

Hosted by Zen teacher Amy Kisei, Earth Dreams: Zen Buddhism and the Soul of the World is a quiet space for exploring what it means to be truly awake in a living, dreaming world. Rather than treating spiritual practice as a retreat from daily life, this podcast gently examines how the core insights of Zen-interconnection, non-separation, and our original nature of freedom-are intimately woven into our dreams, our relationship with the earth, and our sense of soul. Each episode feels like a thoughtful conversation, where ancient teachings meet the raw material of our inner lives and the ecological world around us. You’ll hear Kisei’s reflections on how dreamwork can be a surprising ally on the path of awakening, revealing our deep entanglement with the cosmos. The aim here isn’t abstract philosophy, but a palpable sense of how these liberating perspectives can reshape our experience of reality itself. Tuning into this podcast offers a rare blend of grounded spirituality, where the soul of the world speaks through both silence and symbol, inviting a more creative and loving engagement with existence. It’s for anyone curious about how the heart of Zen Buddhism illuminates our most profound connections.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 95

Earth Dreams: Zen Buddhism and the Soul of the World
Podcast Episodes
The Hands and Eyes of Great Compassion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:56
Greetings Friends,As we begin this new year, I want to spend sometime with the Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra. This chant is one that is chanted across Mahayana Buddhist traditions, within our own Zen school, it is…
Our Dream of The World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:17
A monk asked Hongzhi, “What about the ones who have gone?”Hongzhi said, “White clouds rise to the top of the valleys, blue peakslean into the empty sky.”The monk asked, “What about the ones who return?”Hongzhi said, “Hea…
The Dark Side of Enlightenment [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:40
When we enter the path of practice, two paths open up simultaneously—first we have the path of what we think we are doing. This is the practice method, the conceptual framework, the spoken vow that we turn towards, that…
Eight Realizations of Great Beings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:46
As the calendar year comes to an end, I offer this poem as a re-write of a text that one of my Sanghas has been studying. The text is called The Eight Realizations of Great Beings, one story says it was one of the last t…
Let's Awaken Together [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:18
While sitting under the bodhi tree through the night, Shakyamuni Buddha saw the morning star, was enlightened and said:I, together with the great earth and all sentient beings, simultaneously attain the way.In the Zen tr…
A Sensuous Solidarity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:42
What do you want?What do you really want?The cyber Monday sales have been flashing items, workshops, experiences that we could possibly want, that we should want, that we somehow need.In one of my Sanghas we are explorin…
What Haunts You? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:54
Greetings Friends! In these last few weeks I have been reflecting a lot on the story of Matchig Labdron and the roots of a practice known as Chod, a practice that works directly with fear through generosity. I want to sh…
Fierce Hope [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:34
It’s beautiful to be taking refuge together in all the various places we find ourselves.Ah. Here we are. Survivors of the election. Spiritual warriors attempting to live a vow-fueled life. Hearts turned towards love larg…
Hidden in the Shadows [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:26
A couple weeks ago I heard a sound near our back screendoor, as if an animal were wrestling with a large bag of cat food. I assumed my cat Sasha was trying to break into her bag of treats, and noted the sound but didn’t…
Realizing Impermanence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:24
As part of Autumn Ango with the Zen Community of Oregon, we are contemplating a text called the Eight Realizations of a Great Being. A text that some sources say is the last teaching that the Buddha gave. We are working…