Swords into Blossoms: The Alchemy of Stopping and Seeing

On the night of his enlightenment, the Buddha was confronted by Mara, a trickster figure embodying forces that sought to pull him away from awakening. Remaining firmly seated, the Buddha met these forces with stillness and awareness. Mara dissolved, and the Buddha awakened to his true nature.

Why does this ancient story remain central to the Buddhist path? It reveals the two essential aspects of meditation practice: stopping and seeing. In Zen, stopping is cultivated through the stillness of zazen—steady presence and non-reactivity. Seeing is the capacity to notice thoughts and emotions as they arise without becoming entangled in them. When we meet the sharp swords of fear, confusion, and desire with calm and clear awareness, these same energies can become teachers — bodhisattvas—blossoms, opening the way to freedom.

Join visiting monastic teachers Hojin Sensei and Shoan Sensei in exploring and bringing these timeless teachings alive through zazen, art and body practice.  As we shift from trying to fix ourselves to meeting experience with wakeful compassion, a fresh, joyful freedom becomes possible.