This talk explores the three essential qualities of Zen practice—great faith, great doubt, and great determination—as living forces rooted in direct experience. Jogen emphasizes trusting the glimpses of clarity and freedom we’ve already tasted, while continually questioning the habits and beliefs that obscure them. With steady devotion and a long-view commitment, practice becomes a dynamic unfolding where insight deepens, sincerity matures, and the possibility of liberation is sustained for oneself and others.

In this 2026 Sound Sesshin talk, Hogen explores the profound immediacy of our lived experience, showing how attention to the present moment reveals the mind’s intimate connection with the world. Drawing on Zen teachings and stories of historical practitioners, he emphasizes that awareness, gratitude, and surrender to what is allow us to see our true nature and respond to life with clarity and compassion. By resting in the dynamic “is-ness” of each moment, we cultivate stability, insight, and the capacity to act in service of others.

Jogen explores concentration as the essential force that allows us to stay aligned with what matters in a world full of distraction. He reframes it as both a trainable skill and a deeper surrender, requiring us to return the mind again and again while also learning to face discomfort and let go of mental habits. Beyond meditation, concentration becomes a way of living—bringing full attention to each moment and activity. Through this, the mind steadies, clarity deepens, and the conditions for genuine wisdom begin to emerge.