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How Do We Find the Field of Emptiness? Of Love?

Fashi Lao Yue helps us understand the ever present, ever lasting spiritual work before us with a bit of help from Rumi.
“Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing, there is a field. … When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about. Ideas, language, even the phrase ‘each other’ doesn’t make any sense.”

How to Find God on the Zen Path: The Heart Sutra, The Thread of Love by Fashi Lao Yue

When a bird gets free it doesn’t return to the remnant on the bottom of the cage. (Rumi) Fashi Lao Yue offers a short intensive on the path of the Heart Sutra.

Avalokiteshvara while practicing deeply with the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore,
suddenly discovered that all of the five Skandhas are equally empty, and with this realisation he overcame all Ill-being.
Thich Nhat Hanh translation.

Connections: Religion & Spirituality

Ming Zhen Shakya in her essay “Connections” touches on the difference between the lower rungs of religion and the ecstatic pitch of spirituality. A helpful distinction for those on the path. You’ll be surprised by what she shares with us.

Sangha News

Dear Friends of the Order,
Please read the announcement of the changes at ZATMA.
Thank you.

Mirror, Mirror: The Riddle of Self Reflection, The Seeker

What comes out of your mouth matters! Whether you lie or exaggerate, whether your words are venomous or sweet. How you speak and what you say is a reflection of your spiritual state. And it doesn’t matter what you’re talking about….your words show you where you are on the path.

On Being a Master: Sinking into the Mud

When discussing what a “master” is or can be in our tradition with Yao Xiang Shakya, in preparation before her Master Transmission, she said “I feel being a master is sinking further into the mud so the lotus may rise higher”. 

Heaven and Hell

Ming Zhen Shakya gave this Dharma talk on heaven and hell in 1996…..over 20 years ago. It stands the test of time.

Opowieść 31 – Człowiek, który zdołał pozostać.

Przypowieść o tym jak czasami można starać się „za bardzo” i przez to usztywnić się oraz zablokować swobodny przebieg sytuacji. Dowiemy się z niej jak – nieco się tylko rozluźniając i nabierając trochę pokory – możemy bez większego wysiłku odnaleźć harmonię i właściwy sens okoliczności.

Dharma Up Close: An Approach to Study

As a Dharma heir to Ming Zhen Shakya I feel it is imperative of me to share her work with others. Since she is no longer with us in body and mind making her unavailable to speak with you I thought it might be helpful to offer some comments on how to read and listen and sit under the golden waterfall of her offerings. This essay is a brief, very brief approach on one way to soak in Ming Zhen’s Dharma offering. May the Dharma bless you as it has me and many, many others.