You Have to Say Something (eBook)

DaininKatagiri (1928–1990) was a central figure in the transmission of Zen inAmerica. His first book, Returningto Silence,emphasized the need to return to our original, enlightened state of being, andbecame one of the classics of Zen in America. In YouHave to Say Something,selections from his talks have been collected to address another key theme ofKatagiri's teaching: that of bringing Zen insight to bear on our everydayexperience. 'To live life fully,' Katagiri says, 'means to take care of yourlife day by day, moment to moment, right here, right now.' To do this, heteaches, we must plunge into our life completely, bringing to it the samewholeheartedness that is required in Zen meditation. When we approach life inthis way, every activity—everything we do, everything we say—becomes anopportunity for manifesting our own innate wisdom. With extraordinary freshnessand immediacy, Katagiri shows the reader how this wisdom not only enlivens ourspiritual practice but can help make our life a rich, seamless whole.

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Dainin Katagiri (1928–1990) was a central figure in the transmission of Zen in America. His first book, Returning to Silence, emphasized the need to return to our original, enlightened state of being, and became one of the classics of Zen in America. In You Have to Say Something, selections from his talks have been collected to address another key theme of Katagiri's teaching: that of bringing Zen insight to bear on our everyday experience. "e;To live life fully,"e; Katagiri says, "e;means to take care of your life day by day, moment to moment, right here, right now."e; To do this, he teaches, we must plunge into our life completely, bringing to it the same wholeheartedness that is required in Zen meditation. When we approach life in this way, every activity—everything we do, everything we say—becomes an opportunity for manifesting our own innate wisdom. With extraordinary freshness and immediacy, Katagiri shows the reader how this wisdom not only enlivens our spiritual practice but can help make our life a rich, seamless whole.