Zen was forged in the fire of change. In 10th Century China, the old teacher Fengxue asked, “When Buddhism was destroyed during the Huichang persecution (9th Century), where did all the dharma protecting deities go?” He wanted to know why so many monks and nuns were forced from their temples into the burning streets. Who – or what – was looking after them then?
The Venerable Guanghui Zhen responded, “The world protecting deities were in the marketplace the whole time, only no one saw them.” Zen practice isn’t protected by supernatural forces: it’s protected by you and me. We are the ones who embody it fully, whether at home or in the marketplace, quietly nourishing what is most important. So how do we protect our practice? How do we share it with others? And how will you extend your realisation to future generations?