The Fluid Heart of the New Year - Hogen, Roshi

In this New Year’s talk, Hogen reflects on impermanence as the ground of freedom, showing how the fluid, flickering nature of body, mind, and world makes transformation always possible. Through the traditional elements of letting go, clarifying vow, and living with ethical integrity, he points to the deep creativity inherent in each moment and the unique aspiration alive in every person. By trusting direct experience, releasing fixed self-images, and aligning our actions with our deepest heart, we discover that a new year is not merely a date on a calendar, but an ever-present opportunity to awaken, to serve, and to allow the world itself to become a place of greater clarity, kindness, and possibility.