I'll begin by sharing a brief story of my own, which was three weeks before 9-11. I was asked, I was a speaker at a

conference and it took place in the Twin Towers. So it's kind of was point. It's still poignant as a

memory. It was a Buddhist conference there. And the theme of the conference was really how we heal and awaken. What really helps us to heal and awaken and find freedom. And there were five of us that were opening the conference. And we were asked, each asked to give a 10 minute talk on really what we felt like was the essence of the path

that helps us be free. And the other four people that were invited to speak were elders

in the Buddhist tradition. I was a real newbie, but I was a female and I think they needed a woman.

I'm not sure. But anyway, there I was. And I was second in the lineup, which felt really just right, because when you're second, you have the first 10 minutes just to kind of arrive, you know, and you're there. But then you don't have to wait. You don't have to, like, you know, any of you that have spoken in front of groups, no. So I was a second. I was kind of. So the first speaker, Richard Baker, Roshi, very well-known,

disciple of Suzuki Roshi, got up to do his sharing.

And he looked around and he said, transformation and awakening comes down to two things

intention

and attention

and attention

and then he bowed

and he sat down

and I was on

so I got up there

and I was a little bit frozen

everything in me wanted to go what what he said, you know, one of those.

And to be honest, that's the end of the story.

I have no idea what I said.

But I've, but what he said is stuck with me.

Because I think it's one of the most pithy and profound summations.

If you think of it, everything we're doing is a training in how to pay attention.

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