This article was originally published, in serialized form, in the Portland Buddhist Priory Newsletter.’ It will appear in the Journal in two parts, the second one will follow in the next issue. One of my favorite short pieces … Continue reading →
This is the transcription of a Dharma talk given at Shasta Abbey in February 2022. This is a Dharma talk about aspiration and deepening our practice, in short it’s a talk about stepping up. This is not meant … Continue reading →
I found myself standing once again amidst an overflow of cardboard moving boxes and possessions, when the lay Sangha blog Dew On The Grass’s new monthly theme caught my attention: ‘The Map To Where I Live’1. I was nearly … Continue reading →
This is a transcription of a talk given at Lions Gate Buddhist Priory in November 2021. Rev. Master Jiyu said, several times, some version of the following: “If you’re going to sit in front of a wall and practice … Continue reading →
When I first moved to Santa Barbara my neighbor gave me my first persimmon. I had not eaten one before. The first one I tried was bitterly astringent. I learned to wait for the fruit to ripen fully. I became … Continue reading →
A prayer of silent illumination: we start with the pure intent of the heart. It is a wondrous mystery that this pure heart and intent exists within us and all beings. It exists at this very moment—not in some far-off … Continue reading →
Perhaps we could be forgiven for assuming that a defining characteristic of the human race is its ability to generate conflict around notions of group identity. The other day, I read about experiments using everything from ethnic, political, religious and … Continue reading →
This is an edited transcript of a talk given during an online weekend retreat in July, 2021. It has been adapted for the Journal. Today I want to highlight the presence of trust in a practice of Buddhism. It develops; … Continue reading →
This is the story of a seemingly ordinary day in my life in February 2022. My sister had driven us to our weekly Sōtō Zen meditation class. We had not been able to find parking so we had to drive … Continue reading →
This article was published on the Dragon Bell Temple website, February 2022. In trying to become an accepting person, we get in our own way and smother the possibility of real acceptance. At best we make a clumsy imitation of … Continue reading →
