Ordinary Mind Zen School Like a White Bird in the Snow
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Feb 22, 2026 A talk about extending practice beyond sitting into everyday life and outdoor moments. Taoist influences and classical translations are explored as roots of the approach. The presenter describes dismantling fixed identities and returning to embodied, present-moment experience. Immersion in landscapes, gardens, and encounters with wildlife are offered as practical ways to loosen egoic habits.
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Gifted Book Shifted His View Of Chan
- Geoff Dawson recounts receiving a David Hinton book from Deborah that reframed Chan as Taoism with Buddhist inflections.
- He found Hinton's translations clarified Chan origins and encouraged his current Taoist study.
Dismantling Identity Constructs
- Zen practice aims to dismantle conceptual constructions that define identity.
- Geoff Dawson frames this as seeing into fixed identities formed by names, beliefs and language, revealing deeper immediate experience.
Zen Is About Losing Identity
- Zen uniquely emphasizes losing an identity rather than creating one.
- Geoff Dawson notes this makes Zen less popular because modern culture often seeks identity through labels and group belonging.
