Dogen Seminar 2025: True Paradox (4 of 8)

In this fourth session of Upaya’s Dogen Seminar, Sensei Jiryu explores the profound paradox at the heart of Zen practice: the essential teaching of non-separation. He highlights the famous line, “The great way is not difficult, only avoid picking and choosing,” echoed by Suzuki Roshi’s words: “The supreme way is not difficult. If you just avoid discrimination, then whatever you encounter, that is it.” Jiryu examines how true non-discrimination paradoxically requires precise discernment. Through vivid examples—from walking on rocky terrain to Santa’s red suit—he illuminates the difference between genuine Zen practice and what Dogen called the “naturalistic heresy” of passive acceptance. Guiding listeners toward embodied wisdom that can “discriminate through non-discrimination,” he reveals how to move beyond the either-or mind into a freedom that responds with clarity and precision to each moment’s authentic demand. This teaching shows how true practice embraces everything while preserving the discerning accuracy of awakened beings. To access the resources page for this program, please sign up by clicking here.