In the Shit & Piss With Hakuin – David Weinstein

One of Hakuin’s students came to him and said that she had experienced the infinite light of awakening in all things. Hakuin asked her, “Is it in the shit and the piss?” She responded by taking hold of his cheek between her thumb and forefinger and gently pulling it back and forth while saying,”Don’t you know about that old teacher?”

At the turn of the 20th century in Japan a movement called Ittoen began. The word Ittoen means ‘Garden of One Light’, the same light that Hakuin and his student were talking about, the infinite light of awakening. The foundational practice of Ittoen is cleaning toilets, their own and others’. One practitioner of Ittoen related her experience as “In my heart I saw a big tree, with everything in its branches. You, me, air, birds, flowers. I knew everything was related. That was my realization after cleaning that toilet.”

Sounds like Hakuin’s student. We won’t be cleaning any toilets during this retreat, but nonetheless it will be an opportunity to experience how the infinite light of awakening is in the shit and the piss and everything else.

PZI Members – $60, Non-Members – $80

Scholarships available for PZI Members, inquire with the registrar Registration will be limited to 16 participants.

Contact Registrar Vickie Miller for more info on specifics