This week Tesshin Roshi continued our study of Dogen’s fascicle on refraining from unwholesome action. Roshi pointed out that the simple act of refraining is itself the true expression of enlightenment. In refraining there is no judgment, no duality, no “this versus that.” At first, this can sound as if wholesome and unwholesome actions are the same. If that were the case, couldn’t we just go out and cause harm? Dogen warns against this kind of thinking, saying it is like “walking north to reach the Southern Country.” In other words, we can’t twist the teaching of non-duality into an excuse for unwholesome acts. Instead, we are reminded that every action should aim at easing the suffering of all beings.

Roshi then encouraged us to go deeper. What does it mean to “drop” wholesome acts? What does it mean to drop unwholesome acts? For Dogen, it comes back to refraining. When we refrain, we are dropping a sentient being. Sentience itself carries filters—shaped by karma and conditioning—that constantly push us to like some things and dislike others. Roshi noted that we only need to look outside the Zendo at today’s political turmoil to see how this picking and choosing plays out. At the root, however, it is the same human tendency. We cannot change another person’s conditioning, but we can choose not to feed our own biases. This isn’t turning away—it’s refusing to indulge. And when we really look, we see that every “side” in a conflict is made of the same thing: sentient beings trying to find happiness and avoid suffering, all while blinded by their own filters.

So where do we begin? Right here, in daily life. Do we let a small misunderstanding grow into a conflict? Do we assume that a harsh word was intentional? Do we ignore someone because of their appearance, voice, or mannerisms? Dogen reminds us that we can let these biases drop away by seeing our true nature clearly. Before we can change the world, we must begin by working with ourselves.

Roshi wrapped up by reminding us that this capacity to “drop the sentient being” is cultivated through practice. Time on the cushion has no substitute. We may drop one being, but more will appear. This is why our practice never ends.