A monk asked, “It is so hot. How is it possible to escape from the heat?” The master said, “Why don’t you go to a place where it is neither cold nor hot?” The monk said, “Is there a place where it is neither cold nor hot?” The master said, “When it is cold, you should be cold buddha. When it is hot, you should be hot buddha.”
Sally Tisdale is a palliative care nurse and a Zen Buddhist practitioner. Sally’s book is about preparing for one’s own death and the deaths of people close to you. This book is full of deep insight not only into preparing for our own deaths but also into how we can support those we love at the end of their lives.
Our last intensive Sesshin retreat brought the Sangha together online over four days, in between mindful walking and work practice at home. An unexpected outcome of this, was the emphasis on holding intensive practice within a household setting amongst the noise of family, rather than the usual simplified and quiet structure of Sesshin.