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Reflections on grief and gratitude
My challenge at this point in time is encountering the ocean of grief and sorrow. This sadness comes and goes in waves. At times the sorrow seems fathomless. This is not a linear process, and neither are these reflections. Issue: … Continue reading →
Opening the heart
Segaki enables a tenderness for life to emerge and this talk is about opening our hearts. Segaki is a time when we can call to mind and honour all who have died, particularly those who have died in difficult circumstances—and … Continue reading →
Conditions change, completeness doesn’t
When conditions arise, no matter what the conditions are, they complete us. And then conditions change. Acceptance means that conditions change, completeness doesn’t. So although we say that heat or cold completes us, it is not that we were incomplete … Continue reading →
Dealing with Addictions
A friend I’ve known for some time has alcohol addiction problems. He is very concerned about the world’s suffering and has strongly held views about the cause of this, and how to change things for the better. The trouble is, … Continue reading →
Hungry Ghosts
One of the Six Worlds is the world of the hungry ghosts. It is depicted in Buddhist literature as one of the worlds into which one can be reborn after death; more important for us is to see that it … Continue reading →
Reflections On the Segaki Banners
There are 11, long narrow red cloth banners, that are hung in a straight line, behind and above, the Segaki, (also known as The Feeding of the Hungry Ghosts) Altar. The names on the banners are written vertically, in black. … Continue reading →
Recipients of our Segaki offerings
For whom is the Segaki ceremony intended? To whom do we offer all the merit we create? There seem to be at least several groups: deceased relatives and friends, especially recent and tragic deaths; unfortunate beings in various non-material states … Continue reading →
Feeding Hungry Ghosts with the Bodhisattva Mind
Generosity, compassion, love, and merit—all aspects of the Bodhisattva Mind-Heart—are the distinctive attributes, or seals, of the Feeding of the Hungry Ghosts Ceremony (Segaki). I want to explore here the many ways these qualities are expressed in the ceremony: first, … Continue reading →
