Dust in the Wind
An edited transcript of a Dharma talk given to the Priory congregation in January 2023. What I wanted to start with for this talk was the line from the Sandōkai that gets brought up many times, the one where it … Continue reading →
Insight
Here Born We Clutch at Things
Originally published on the Pine Mountain Buddhist Temple website. Since the old Zen Writings were done in times when people were much closer to nature than we in our urbanized society are, it makes sense that some of the … Continue reading →
On Retreat
Based on a conversation between the author and Rev Master Olwen Crookall-Greening in November 2023. I spent three months as a lay resident at Throssel Hole in the Autumn of 2023, and decided to write about the experience, in the … Continue reading →
A Gift From Mom
My mother recently gave me a cup. It has JAPAN stamped on the bottom. I think it is a pretty common design, I’ve seen it often in second-hand stores. It’s unusual as cups go only because it has two layers; … Continue reading →
Some Thoughts on ‘Guest’ and ‘Host’
I have been thinking about the idea of ‘guest’ and ‘host’ in Buddhism and how it plays out in our daily lives. This is a concept I come across occasionally, and it hasn’t always been clear to me what … Continue reading →
Pure Seeing, and What Makes it Possible
Offered in loving memory of Reverend Master Jishō and Reverend Master Saidō. There is that within each of us which sees what is here with openness and without doing anything with it, adding something to it, turning away … Continue reading →
Reflections on Perfection
This article first appeared on the website of Pine Mountain Buddhist Temple where the author has spent time on retreat. As I wipe down the kitchen counters in the Buddha house after morning meditation I contemplate my inclination toward … Continue reading →
Love out of the Box
I have always enjoyed Mel Tormé’s version of the Cole Porter song, “What is This Thing Called Love.” In his version of the song, after a bit of ‘scat singing’, he and a handful of background vocalists ask in close … Continue reading →
