This Is It: The Ox-Herding Pictures and Our Spiritual Journey

In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, offered during Upaya's Spring Practice Period, Sensei Ryotan explores a central theme of the ten ox-herding pictures: why is simply being present so difficult? Drawing on John Daido Loori's Riding the Ox Home and the child psychologist D.W. Winnicott's concept of "going on being," Ryotan traces how conditioning — laid down in childhood and reinforced throughout our lives — interrupts the natural flow of authentic self and keeps us living out of a script we did not write. She draws on her own practice to illustrate how conditioning hides in plain sight, and how we measure our inner life against others' outer appearances, mistaking that gap for the truth of who we are. The path through is not dramatic but incremental: intentional, non-judgmental awareness, trustworthy mirrors, and the courage to challenge what we've been told. "Working through our conditioning gives us the opportunity to write our own script, not to live out of an ingrained script that was handed to us." Please enjoy online practice and teachings from Upaya Zen Center. NEW! Join our zendo for daily practice on zoom: https://www.upaya.org/program/zazen/ If you wish to offer dana (generosity), please go here to donate: https://www.upaya.org/giving/dana-for... Upaya is a Buddhist residential contemplative community in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We offer daily Zen meditation, weekly Dharma Talks, and programs on Buddhist teachings, Buddhist art, contemplative science, and social engagement. Learn more at www.upaya.org Full Programs Schedule: https://www.upaya.org/live-programs/ Wisdom Library: https://www.upaya.org/wisdom-library/ Ways to Give: https://www.upaya.org/giving/ Become a Member of Upaya: https://www.upaya.org/membership-info/