Can we transcend suffering by letting go of notions of good and bad? When does medicine become a sickness? 

In this profound talk, Sensei Kritee Kanko explores one of Zen's most challenging teaching: everything on earth—including our most painful experiences—is medicine. Drawing from her 25 years of practice, she reveals how our desperate attempts to escape suffering through meditation and spiritual practice can paradoxically become another form of sickness. With refreshing honesty about her own past spiritual bypassing (neglecting her husband, mother, and even her own health in pursuit of “enlightenment”), Kanko examines the delicate balance between disciplined practice and harmful attachment to the "blue sky mind." She bridges ancient Zen wisdom with Joanna Macy's contemporary grief work, discussing how both the “absolute level” wisdom that "Fear or grief is Buddha" and living compassionately along with the messy process of being accountable are essential—and how focusing on only one aspect (wisdom vs compassion) creates harm. Using the metaphor of a consciousness microscope to examine the “components” of grief and fear in our bodies, this talk offers a nuanced path through these times of polycrisis that honors both transcendent realization and grounded community healing.

Sensei Kanko gave this talk during a Zazenkai (half-day meditation retreat) in October 2025.

Thank you for listening to the Boundless in Motion podcast. You can access more information about our programs and retreats by going to www.boundlessinmotion.org or www.kriteekanko.com