My teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (known affectionately by his followers as Thay – teacher) , often teaches on the better way to live alone. His teachings are based on the words of the Buddha passed down orally until they were written down. These writings are called sutras. In this article, we are going to review Sutra […]
Forest Bathing
November 9, 2014 by
Today is November 7, 2014. I arrive at the Ben Lomond Quaker Center snuggled in the redwood forest of the Santa Cruz Mountains. I walk in the woods a bit and realize I am forest bathing. The joy I feel being there is enhanced by the early morning sunlight streaming through the trees. The canopy […]
Taking Care of Our Families
November 8, 2014 by
Taking care of our families is just as important as dharma practice. Even though we are taught that “non-attachment is essential,” we must continue to love and support our family members. I find this teaching to be really essential. At a time when many of my friends were attending retreats away from their families, I […]
How to Regard All Beings
November 6, 2014 by
Here is a quote from Huineng on how to regard all beings. Other than the quote, which is from Tricycle.com, this is my recollection of his role in Zen Buddhism. Huineng was the sixth patriarch of Zen. He was born in 638 and died in 713 at the age of 75. He began his spiritual […]
Good Advice for Bad Times
November 5, 2014 by Leave a Comment
These words of wisdom by Howard Zinn came to us from our dharma brother, John Snyder. They provide good advice for bad times. “TO BE HOPEFUL in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, […]
Can We Avoid Becoming Complete Robots
November 5, 2014 by
D. T. Suzuki was one of the seminal figures in bringing Zen to the West. He noted that our modern civilization is dehumanizing us at a rapid rate, even back then when he wrote in the ’50s and ’60s, he could see this was already becoming true. Now it is worse than ever. Can we […]
Our True Home
November 3, 2014 by
Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us that our true home exists in the here and in the now. There is only the present moment, and if we are present, we are home. We sing a song that goes like this: I have arrived, I am home. In the here and in the now. I […]
Don’t Let Your Past Keep You from Your Future – jerome.tc.org@gmail.com – Gmail
November 2, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Don’t Let Your Past Keep You from Your Future – jerome.tc.org@gmail.com – Gmail.
Listening to Your Body
November 2, 2014 by
Last weekend, I spent a long weekend with my wife and eight other friends in beautiful Carmel, California. Most of us get together on a monthly basis to meditate and dine together for a shabbos celebration. One of the main topics we talked about was listening to your body because your body never lies. Your […]
Mahamrityunjaya Mantra
October 29, 2014 by
When I had my Ayurveda consult with Dr. Sarita Shrestha, I was told to learn the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra and chant it frequently. The sheet of paper that I got with it had the above graphic as well as the following text: The meaning of the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra The Sanskrit word maha means ‘great’, mrityu means […]
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