In this opening session of Upaya’s Dogen Seminar, program faculty introduce themselves and reflect on themes and paradoxes within Dogen’s teachings they will be sharing over the weekend. Roshi Joan Halifax presented Dogen’s fundamental question from age 13: if we already possess Buddha nature, why do we seek enlightenment? Teachers Steven Heine, Sensei Kaz, Norman and Kathie Fisher, and Sensei Jiryu explored various aspects of how paradox serves as a pathway to freedom from delusion rather than intellectual puzzles. Participants were invited to share their motivations for attending, with many expressing how Dogen’s writings inspire deeper practice despite—or because of—their difficulty to understand. As one participant beautifully expressed: “When I read Dogen, I feel very strongly that he wants me to practice… I feel like he wants me to practice. He’s really pulling for me.” The evening emphasized sitting with contradiction rather than trying to resolve it, that our very existence is paradoxical and an acceptance of this fact can create shifts toward greater peace and deeper practice.
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