Alone, Lonely, Solitary, All Related

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei – ZCNYC – 8/23/26 – A practitioner came to the temple during the week and in a conversation they asked Hojin Sensei: “Are you lonely?” In this talk, Hojin takes up the this koan of our life: who or what is alone, lonely, solitary, related? Aren’t we all each truly alone as we are also completely in relationship? The Buddha taught, “All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.” This old woman hermit when asked if she is alone responds: “everything is my relative” Can you relate? Where do you find the self? (From The Hidden Lamp #48: The Old Woman’s Relatives)