Opening the Skies

Opening the Skies

Author: Amy Kisei July 25, 2023 Duration: 32:54

Spaciousness/emptiness is considered the Ground of Being or the Mind-ground—the heart of who we are.

Here spaciousness is love. But maybe not love in the traditional way that we think of love, which is often conditional. 

Often our loving has to do with–if you really loved me you would do…or say…or show it in some specific way that we feel like we need, or want, or must have in order to really feel or know love.

Spaciousness is love unbounded, completely unconditional–a pure kind of love that is almost impossible to imagine, because we are so conditioned to think of love in a particular way. To think of love the way that we think of human love, which again is conditioned–because often we bring our fears, attachments, longings, desires + hidden agendas to our loving.

Spaciousness-love is the love that accepts, knows, embraces whatever it is that is arising in the moment–simply because it is, simply because it is what’s happening.

What’s amazing and inconceivable and miraculous is that spaciousness-love is our most intimate experience. It’s functioning within each of us, all of the time. Deep fundamental acceptance is the heart of who we are.



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 Qualities of Illumination [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:23
In this talk we explore illumination as an aspect of our awakened nature, sometimes experienced as clarity, brightness, lucidity, alertness. We also look at what happens when illumination is overly emphasized in our spir…
The Dharma of Flow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:02
We all have had experiences of being in the flow of life. What is this flow? How do we find it? What do learn from the times that we feel obstructed, and what do we learn from being in the flow?Inspired by Zen Master Hon…
Instructions for Befriending the Darkness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:01
Inspired by the lines from Dogen Zenji's Being-Time: For the time-being stand on top of the highest peak.For the time-being proceed along the bottom of the deepest ocean. An exploration of the interplay of highs and lows…
Recognizing Completion: Celebrating the Fruits of Dharma Practice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:55
In this Dharma Talk the theme of completion is taken up, from the Zen and Non-dual perspective. How is this moment, this breath, this body, already + always complete?As we enter the New Year our attention can be drawn to…

«1...678910