Shuso Jacklyn Gyonin Hirshfeld
"Come, come, you have to try this!"

I found in Zen practice a way to reach my deepest, innermost self, and from there attain true freedom.  I'd like to tell everyone, "Come, come, you have to try this!"  But, to share this I have to practice it myself.

Now my teacher asks me to sit Shuso during the next three-month Ango. I'm inadequate for this position, as Roshi well knows. However I guess thus it will be. I'll just have to suffer my shame and ask you all to bear with me. The only way I can return this trust is to give it my all, not to keep even the tiniest speck of anything for myself, and then give it some more. After all, is there any other way to practice?

See our Ango practice schedule here.