The basic elements of life are not unlike the basic elements of Zen practice. To become one with Zen is to uncover the fundamental truths of the universe. This may at first glance seem a… ELEMENTARY, MY DEAR ZEN STUDENT
Consider how you might understand the nature of what comes your way. Instead of reacting to what shows up, contemplate the nature of it. It is both teacher and kin. The universe exists. You exist.… Don’t be afraid to experience what shows up. It is your life.
Remembrance of Aging The Four Boons of Aging. My hope is to pull the door open, even if it is just a crack, on what is beneficial in the truth of aging. I’ll begin by… Old Age is a Boon
A Single Thread, The Zen Contemplative Order of Hsu Yun Welcomes Old Heart Mountain, 老心山, Lǎo xīn shān shakya aka Arakawa Mitsugi to our Order. Old Mountain, as he likes to be called, is previously… Welcome Our New Member
Escape from Hell We named him Arthur which is a name derived from the word bear. In Medieval Latin Arthurus/Arturus, usually said to be from Welsh arth means “bear.” In sanskrit, artha means wealth, the… The Arthur Sermon
This piece, although written in 2003, is quite up-to-date on what happens when protests become terror and when breaking the rules of law and order enter as trickery and outrageous. Our dear teacher, the late Ming Zhen uplifts us to remember the more things change the more they remain the same…to some degree or another. It’s worth reading!
Dogen’s Awarenesses – Having Few Desires, Being Content, Quietude, Diligence, Unfailing Recollection are not commandments or rules to be memorized and slavishly followed. They are qualities to be lived not just something to think about or observe in other people. These awarenesses are like seeds in our minds, when we water them with practice they can break through our ignorance, like seedlings breaking through the dirt to become plants.
Friendship, Sickness, Aging and Death is common to us all. Especially during this worldwide pandemic. Venerable Lao Huo Shakya offers us a personal and traditional Buddhist response to those who lose a loved one. The tradition asks us to write a letter – one for each week of the period of grief. Venerable Lao Hue’s generosity is a boon to us all.
Om Om Om Peace, Peace, Peace
Dogen’s Fifth Awareness: Unfailing Recollection Unfailing: without error or fault; reliable or constant Recollection: action of remembering something Ah…but what are we to remember without error or fault? Our Social Security number? Our birth date?.… Dogen’s Fifth Awareness: Unfailing Recollection