Ordinary Mind Zen School Sesshin Day 2: The Play of Opposites
Nov 5, 2025
A talk on balancing seriousness and play in Zen practice. Stories of spontaneous joyful encounters and how formal practice can feel playful inside. Reflections on tempering empathic seriousness, cutting through spiritual status, and combining discipline with spontaneity. Thoughts on fear, anger, lightness, death, and small everyday chances to connect and lighten up.
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Friendly Gundagai Halloween Encounter
- Geoff Dawson met a cheerful man in Gundagai who announced he would be Dracula for Halloween and they shared a laughing goodbye.
- The random street exchange brightened his day and illustrated how small, playful connections appear in country towns.
Magpies Strut By The River
- Geoff Dawson describes magpies approaching while he sat by the Marumbidgee River and strutting around the group as if curious.
- The improvised, wordless exchange with wildlife showed openness to spontaneous, playful contact beyond human interactions.
Sesshin Is Outwardly Serious And Inwardly Playful
- Silent sesshin looks serious outwardly but can be complete play inwardly when you drop conceptual making-sense and watch the passing show.
- Geoff says Shikantaza lets you observe trucks, magpies, and knee pain without grasping, revealing life's playful flow.