Huineng Didn't Win the Poetry Contest

According to legend, Zen’s Sixth Ancestor was chosen in a poetry contest. I discuss the facts behind the legend, and the role of ambition and jealousy in Zen practice. This is a dharma talk I gave at the New Paltz Zen Center on August 30, 2026. Watch the video below (the recording is laggy at times, sorry), or read the transcript below that. Subscribe to the podcast Once upon a time in China, ther