Bodhisattva Manjushri and Wisdom for Our Times
In this week’s Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, during the Spring Practice Period, Sensei Ryotan Cynthia Kear draws our attention to the foundational importance of vows, urging us to “Trust yourself and your dedication to your practice.” Cultivating a deep confidence in our commitment to practice, knowing we are not perfect, creates the necessary ground for wisdom to emerge. Ryotan reminds us “Buddhism is not formulaic. Each of your unique lives and unique causes and conditions and circumstances will bring forth the unique, appropriate response in you.” We are pointed away from seeking perfect answers outside ourselves, instead trusting our own inner wisdom and “alignment with your best intention” as the compass for skillful action. Through reflections on the Bodhisattva of wisdom, Manjushri, and her own experiences in practice and Zazen, Sensei Ryotan invites us to trust the natural wisdom that arises when we remain grounded in our deepest vows, reminding us that authentic practice isn’t about rigid formulas but about bringing our “best effort to the moment” and then simply “paying attention to what happens.”