PZI Teacher Archives

Taking Part in the Gathering

Text October 30, 2023

Front Foot & Back Foot Walking

John Tarrant

One of the metaphors for awakening is spring. And don’t be afraid of how marvelous and powerful this thing is that’s carrying us, because it’s your nature and it’s a precious thing. And if we came here for anything, it’s that.

5459 Words
Video August 25, 2022

Summer Sesshin: We Are Interwoven – Welcome to Sesshin

John Tarrant

John Tarrant welcomes Summer Sesshin participants and introduces a stanza of Shitou’s long poem: Taking Part in the Gathering, as an opening koan. The poem comes from the inception of Chan and is described as a Daoist current on the nature of reality – how emptiness pervades form. Koans, Art, Meditation & Conversation are part of waking up together in PZI Culture. June 13, 2022.

26' 48"
Audio August 25, 2022

Summer Sesshin: We Are Interwoven – Welcome to Sesshin

John Tarrant

John Tarrant welcomes Summer Sesshin participants and introduces a stanza from Shitou’s song-poem, Taking Part in the Gathering, as an opening koan. The poem comes from the inception of Chan as a Daoist current on the nature of reality. Koans, art, meditation & conversation are part of waking up together in PZI culture. June 13, 2022.

26' 48"
Video July 13, 2022

Welcoming What’s Here

Tess Beasley

Disturbances in sesshin are taking part in the gathering too. From a talk in Summer Sesshin on June 15, 2022. 5 minutes.

5' 24"
Video July 12, 2022

Our Part in the Gathering

Tess Beasley

It’s all here—we’re already taking part in the gathering. We each hold our part so we can experience it together. Recorded during Summer Sesshin on June 15, 2022. 4 minutes.

3' 53"
Audio April 26, 2021

Spring Sesshin: The Interwoven Journey of Sesshin and Life

Tess Beasley

Tess Beasley invites our voices into the room, acknowledging the interwoven yet not-interwoven vessel of sesshin. We are each a unique presence, yet it is when personal identity and ambition recede that feeling and empathy emerge. PZI Digital Temple. As recorded April 11, 2021.

40' 19"