Genjo Koan
This calligraphy is the artistry of Taizan Maezumi Roshi and is a gift from him to us. It is a portion of the GenjoKoan, a very important work by Ehihei Dogen Zenji, the Japanese founder of the Soto Zen School.
In translation:
“To study the Buddha Way is to study the self.
To study the self is to forget the self.
To forget the self is to be enlightened by the
ten thousand dharmas.
To be enlightened by the ten thousand dharmas
is to free one’s body and mind and the body and mind of others
No trace of enlightenment remains,
And this traceless enlightenment is continued
forever”.
Out of our practice of the Genjokoan and other upayas (skillful means) we take on the gift of attempting to provide compassionate action to help relieve the suffering we find all around us. At VZC we work with various international, national, and local non-profit organizations to assist them meeting the mutual goal of ending suffering. Please join us in our social engaged practices by attending our daily, or weekly, activities and learning how you can help directly. We and the people we are reaching out to can definitely use all the support you have to offer.