As Buddhists we take refuge in the Three Treasures of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Taking refuge in the Three Treasures is common to all schools of Buddhism. In fact it is the central and defining act of a Buddhist – … Continue reading →
Any of us is completely free. In a way freedom is our true name. You are free and you were free before you were given your name and became a person in this world. Having been given a name and … Continue reading →
‘From Great Compassion comes forth the Pure Dharma Body – Unborn, Uncreated.’ Great Compassion has always existed, always is, and always will be. It is the nature of existence. It is greater than anything we can imagine or dream of … Continue reading →
There is a saying that, “When the student is ready the teacher appears.” Unfortunately a number of people take this as something magical: that somehow the teacher knows, and is just waiting for you to be ready, then they will … Continue reading →
Experiencing darkness is part of my life. Most of the time I am not able to recognize the specific reason for this darkness. Nonetheless it often appeared to me as something very real in the past. When in the midst … Continue reading →
Today as we experience the emotion of grief, as we grieve the loss of Rev. Master Chosei, I’d like to look further into this subject of emotions. Sometimes we oppose emotions to analytical thinking, or reason, or the intellect, and … Continue reading →
I’d like to share with you something that I’ve found helpful in my own training recently, in the context of training in difficult situations. Most of us have probably had one or more events in our lives that have affected … Continue reading →
Helping on an Introductory Retreat recently, I gave the meditation instruction and was stuck by how very direct our practice is. Other traditions may use a technique to help bring oneself to the sitting. In Zen we go straight to … Continue reading →
On our altars there is a water cup, which sits before the Buddha. That cup represents you, me, each one of us. We train to receive what arises within us, from the great mystery that we call meditation. Like that … Continue reading →
We can think of the Buddha’s Truth as enlightenment. It is as simple as that. And when we come across the word enlightenment, what comes to mind? What comes to your mind? What comes to my mind is that if … Continue reading →