Zen Master Genpo Roshi is is a world renowned teacher of Zen Buddhism. He is the creator of the Big Mind process, something that philosopher Ken Wilber has called “arguably the most important and original discovery in the last two centuries of Buddhism.” Join us for a conversation about the student / mentor relationship, abuse of power, redemption, and the Buddha nature of dogs.

The key is to be honest with one’s self. 
A lot of people will say, “be honest with others”. 
Yes, that’s important, but first the, integrity has to be with one’s self. 
If I am honest with myself, I simply cannot consciously do harm to others, 
I simply cannot lie. 
I simply cannot do things that are hurtful to others, 
because I’m being honest with myself to what the effect is on them and myself. 

Genpo Roshi

No hope is another key to awakening. 
We have to balance the hope with no nope. 
When I give up all hope, I’m giving up all expectations, all projections, all my images, all my wishes, all my ideas, all my beliefs, all my notions, all my expectations – I’m giving that all up and then I’m just – wow – here with me, without my hopes. 

Genpo Roshi

A butterfly flapping its wings, (like the old Taoists say,) in South America, could cause a storm in Siberia. People were not accepting of that. 
Now, with social media… the technology we have,  if one person flaps their wings in D.C., it can affect the whole world. Nobody denies that. In a way, that’s the basis of Buddhism: that we’re all connected, and interconnected, and interdependent, and that one person  person [is affected by] the world, and world is affected by any one person. 

Genpo Roshi

Connect more with Genpo Roshi at www.BigMind.org