Looking into the Source

With this and that I tried to keep the bucket together, and then the bottom fell out.

Where the water does not collect, the moon does not dwell.—Chiyono

This is the awakening poem of Chiyono, a Japanese Zen practitioner in the early 17th Century. The poem comes after a much longer story about this person’s path of practice. In the story, Chiyono has a sincere aspiration to practice the dharma, but isn’t able to spend a lot of time in formal meditation practice because of her work responsibilities.

She seeks out an elder nun at the local convent—and though she is full of self-doubt, she expresses to the nun her aspiration to practice the dharma, as well as her situation and self-doubt. The nun meets her with reassurance, she affirms Chiyono’s aspiration and tells her that there is a path of practice that she can do—even if she doesn’t have time for a lot of formal practice.

The nun gives Chiyono these instructions:

* Affirm your sincere aspiration to awaken

* Cultivate compassion for all beings

* Recollect that you are complete as you are

* Recognize delusive thoughts, and look into their source

This dharma talk/podcast episode was recorded on during the weekly Monday Night Meditation & Dharma event (learn more below). In this dharma talk I explore practices for looking into the source of thoughts.

This is a vital practice that has the ability to completely change our relationship to thoughts and the power that they can have over us.

What are thoughts made of?

What happens when you take thoughts as the object of attention?

Or trace thoughts back and feel the sensations/emotions in your body?

To look into our thoughts is a courageous practice, to feel our feelings directly unmeditated by thought is also a courageous practice. Doing it can help us recognize the spaciousness and clarity of Mind’s nature. Doing it can awaken the heart of compassion.

How much energy do we spend using thoughts to patch together this bucket of self?

How much energy do we use trying to prove that we are unworthy, unloveable, undeserving?

What if instead of believing these lies about ourselves, we looked into the nature of these thoughts?

What if we began to truly trust that we and all beings are complete as we are?

While sitting meditation can be a great support for looking into the source of our thoughts, this is a practice we can do throughout the day—try it, its empowering!

….

I’m Amy Kisei. I am a Zen Buddhist Teacher, Spiritual Counselor, Meditation Coach, Astrologer and Artist. In my Spiritual Counseling Practice, I practice at the confluence of spirituality and psychology, integrating mind, body and spirit. Spiritual Counseling can help you:

* Companion Grief + Loss

* Clarify Life Purpose

* Healing Relational Conflict + Inner Conflict

* Work with Shadow Material

* Heal your relationship with Eating, Food or Body Image

* Spiritual Emergence

* Integrate Psychedelic or Mystical Experiences

* Move Through Creative Blocks, Career Impasses and Burnout

I am trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS), Dream Work, Hakomi (Somatic Therapy) and Mindful Eating.

I also lead a weekly online meditation group, you can read more about below.

Monday Night Meditation + Dharma

6P PT / 9P ET

Join me on zoom for 40 minutes of meditation and a dharma talk. We are currently exploring embodiment, compassion and the principles of engaged buddhism. All are welcome to join.

Zoom Link for Monday Night

I currently live in Columbus, Ohio with my partner, we facilitate an in-person meditation gathering every Wednesday from 7P - 8:30P at ILLIO in Clintonville through Mud Lotus Sangha. If you happen to be in Columbus, feel free to stop by!

Earth Dreams is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.