06/03/2026
Hey Everyone,
Recently, while working on what it means for someone to take up Zen lay and priest ordination, I was reminded of a conversation that arose during a discussion group on The Dhammapada a couple of years ago. There was a question about what it means to stray from the path and so what it means to be on the path. Surely, one of the participants remarked, when one is behaving badly, acting in a way that is at odds with the precepts, one has strayed from the path. Coming back to this moment is to step back on the path.
I suggested, however, that one who sees with Right Wisdom realizes there is no straying from the path. Everything is on the path. Sure, there is behavior, even bad behavior, that arises from confusion, but with Right Wisdom, it can be seen that, good or bad, confused or enlightened, it is all the path.
It was a point I’d found reiterated in a short piece titled “Everywhere,” from a collection of teachings compiled and translated by Thomas Cleary titled The Pocket Zen Reader:
Ta-sui was asked, “Buddha’s truth is everywhere; so where do you teach students to plant their feet?”
He replied, “The vast ocean lets fish leap freely; the endless sky lets birds fly freely.”
There is no place, no particular path, no Buddha’s path, which excludes where we are when we are confused, consigning ignorance to some other path, say the path of Mara, or to wandering around in the brambles. It’s all reality; it’s all an opportunity to practice.
That doesn’t mean we should act recklessly, that “it’s all good,” it’s all just reality expressing itself. In fact, in the passage of The Dhammapada that inspired our conversation, Buddha reminds us that “the mindful ones exert themselves.” We must make an effort, or it will be as if we are wandering around in the brambles. It is only for one who sees with Right Wisdom that the path can be truly seen, the Way traversed.
What makes this teaching especially timely is that it can also remind us, as we embark on our various travels this summer, seemingly leaving the zendo behind us: wherever we go is our zendo.
While our class offerings aren’t as profuse in the summer as at other times of the year, we continue our discussion and study groups on Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings, respectively. This July, I also plan to offer a short class on a teaching of the Buddhadharma. I haven’t settled on a topic yet, so please keep your eye on your inbox for a separate announcement, which I hope to have soon. Finally, know that all summer we remain open for our full sitting schedule, and offer free, public talks on Sunday mornings.
Take care and be well,
Steve Matuszak, Dharma Field head teacher
