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A Nondual View of the Emotional Body

Contributors: Jun Po Kelly Roshi, Reverend Doshin Hannya, Daju Huihai Suzanne Friedman and Keith Martin-Smith


Therapy and emotional processing can provide new perspectives on cultural conditioning, and promote a healthier ego. Spiritual practices such as Zazen and Dzogchen gradually awaken us to the illusion of permanent self. This raises an important question: what does our emotional body look like when viewed from shunyata, or Nondual Awareness? Join Jun Po and Doshin Roshi in this lively discussion on the emotional body as seen by the viewless view of Nondual awareness.

For all the details on the upcoming Mondo Zen retreat from October 15-22, including who to contact with questions, click here.

  

 
 
 

A Nondual View of the Emotional Body

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 Duration: 31 minutes
  
 

 

 

"Mondo Zen's linguistic tools and integral framework allow insight and growth far beyond what conventional or post-modern Buddhism can offer." ~ Ken Wilber

Ken Wilber has often talked about how steady spiritual practice provides ever-increasing stage-state development.  This means we move from "Subtle" to "High Subtle" to "Causal", gradually stabilizing our insight.  When we look at our emotional body from a high Subtle view, we see ourselves in ever-widening contexts.  We can learn to have highly mature and rewarding emotional relationships, repair damage done to ourselves by ignorant parenting and culture, and develop a strong sense of self.  The emotional body, from this high Subtle view, becomes an object in a larger view of “me”. 

Shunyata, or the Casual mode of awareness, is when the entire self—emotions and all—fall away as an entity distinct from an external reality.  This can never be seen as an object within awareness—it is Emptiness itself.  We know this state when any sense of “I” having an experience falls away.  There is only the radiant and pure potentiality of the present moment, out of which “I” arise. The goal of Zen and of many contemplative traditions is to live from this “viewless view”.

What then is the Non-dual view of our emotional body?  What happens when old patterns arise, like interacting with parents, children, bosses, partners, thoughts about money, rush hour traffic, or a dog barking noisily in the night?  In Casual awareness, shunyata, we know we are and have always been free.  As old persistent reactive patterns arise (shame, anger, jealousy), we have a choice to return to this viewless view.  From here, compassion and intelligence naturally arise.  What does this actually look like in the real world?  What does our emotional body look like from this viewless view? 

In this short talk, Jun Po Kando Roshi (founder of Mondo Zen) and Doshin M.J. Nelson Roshi, his dharma heir, have a spirited and pointed conversation with Suzanne Friedman (Daju Huihai) and Keith Martin-Smith. 

For all the details on the upcoming Mondo Zen retreat from October 15-22, including who to contact with questions, click here.

"Let me state this as strongly as I can: the Mondo Zen Process founded by Zen Master JunPo Denis Kelly provides a profound and effective method of seeing one's True Nature, greatly accelerating the process of waking up. Using integral, linguistic tools and leading questions it helps induce profound state experiences. Once we have directly experienced our True Nature, the Emotional Koan practice of Mondo Zen helps us bring these profound states directly into one's life and relationships in a profoundly fierce and compassionate way embracing both waking up and growing up." ~ Ken Wilber

 

 
     
 

Jun Po Kelly Roshi

Jun Po Denis Kelly began his Buddhist practice at Zen Center San Francisco in the early '70s, later becoming a student of Eido Shimano Roshi in New York and subsequently a monk. He received his Zen Master recognition in 1992. Interested in bringing his Zen lineage (Rinzai tradition) into American culture without the Japanese cultural bindings, Jun Po left the monastery and founded the lay Buddhist Hollow Bones order, of which he is abbot. A yoga instructor as well, he traces his lineage to BKS Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois. He established the Hollow Bones seven-day Zen retreats for the Mankind Project.

  
     
 

Rev. Doshin Hannya

Doshin started studying Zen in the late 60's, but without the guidance of a good teacher, he was confused and discouraged by the teachings. In earnest he began studying other meditative practices and martial arts which were difficult but less obscure. It wasn't until he met Jun Po Kelly Roshi that the disciplined practice and eloquent simplicity of Zen suddenly took root and began to penetrate the dense clouds of his stubborn conditioned mind, revealing the ordinary, openness of vast empty sky.

  
     
 

Daju Huihai Suzanne Friedman

Daju Huihai Suzanne Friedman is a Zen priest, Chinese medicine doctor, and qigong master. She is the author of three books on qigong and is a professor at two Chinese medicine schools. She runs a Hollow Bones sangha in San Francisco, California.

  
     
 

Keith Martin-Smith

Keith Martin-Smith worked as the Marketing Manager at Integral Institute from 2006-2007, and left to pursue his writing and other interests. In 2009, his book The Mysterious Divination of Tea Leaves was published, which Ken Wilber called "...a profound and deeply felt collection of short stories, highly recommended for those who are looking for insight, intelligence, wit, and wisdom." His most current work, the memoir of Zen Master Jun Po Denis Kelly Roshi, is called A Heart Blown Open. Excerpts from both works can be found of Keith's website, www.keithmartinsmith.com. In addition to writing, Keith has been studying Shaolin and Northern style Kung Fu since 1994, and currently teaches Kung Fu and Qi Gong in Boulder, CO.

  
     
 

 

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