In this workshop we will inquire into the interplay of self-power and other-power, volition and devotion in our own practice through the stories of the WW2-era Zen nuns and laywomen in the book In This Body, In This Lifetime: Awakening Stories of Japanese Soto Zen Women. At the heart of these intimate accounts is the life-changing impact of entering a women’s training monastery— sometimes for a week-long retreat, sometimes for decades—in mutual support, under the guidance of a formidable female Roshi, Sozen Nagasawa. While this context certainly helps these women-practitioners awaken, it is in fact the dance of effort and surrender, inquiry and devotion that ultimately allows them to recognize their true nature—and to allow that recognition to illuminate and empower their lives in times of great loss and adversity.
We will reflect on that dance in our own practice, and explore how we can cultivate both self-power and and other-power, self-support and other-support in equal measure, as we face both individual and collective challenges together.
- General: $45
- Current SFZC Members: $40
San Francisco Zen Center is committed to making Zen practice and the Dharma accessible to all who seek it by offering both a General support fund and a dedicated BIPOC support fund. Please email supportfunds@sfzc.org for more information BEFORE signing up.
Or call 415-354-0360.