Class on the Three Doors of Liberation

Abbot Hozan will offer a four-session online study on this classic teaching—the Three Doors of Liberation—on Thursday evenings, 7:15 to 8:45, January 13 through February 3, in the Online Zendo.

Zen Master Yoka Genkaku’s Shodoka/Song of Enlightenment begins with this verse:

There is the leisurely one,
Walking the Way, beyond philosophy,
Not avoiding fantasy, not seeking truth.
The real nature of ignorance is the Buddha-nature itself;
The empty delusory body is the very body of the Dharma.

These Zen verses remind us of the Three Doors of Liberation: Emptiness, Signlessness, and Wishlessness. While we have never studied these practices in detail, Sojun gave a rich lecture on them towards the end of his life. They feature prominently in the teaching of Thich Nhat Hanh and others in Theravada and Mahayana lineages. More to the point, the Three Doors of Liberation help us see the whole of our life as practice that is easeful, fluid, and ever-changing. Please join us for these classes, which will include study and reflection on our own embodiment of freedom.

The suggested donation is $40 for the series (or $10 per class).  You may donate by check or via the website.  If you donate using the website, click on Sits/Classes and please include a note indicating that you are paying for “Hozan’s Thursday class”.

Resource Links:

https://www.lionsroar.com/the-doors-of-liberation-may-2014/

https://berkeleyzencenter.org/dharma-talk/sojun-mel-weitsman-three-doors-of-liberation/