These Buddhist jokes that will brighten your day were sent to me by an long-time friend, Mr. da Hut. I think they are great! What do you think? 1. Says the Master to his pupil: “Do you understand that you don’t really exist?” Upon which the pupil replies: “To whom are you telling that?” 2. […]
Is Buddhism a Religion?
February 20, 2018 by
In the March 2018 issue of Lion’s Roar magazine, there is a very interesting discussion on “Is Buddhism a religion.” I am presenting these arguments because I am a Buddhist and have two religious brothers who are orthodox Jews. I am also curios to hear whether you would consider the Plum Village tradition of Zen […]
The Zen Teachings of Bagger Vance
November 2, 2017 by
A few nights ago, we re-watched The Legend of Bagger Vance in which Rannulph Junuh, played by Matt Damon learns the Zen teachings of Bagger Vance, played by Will Smith. Junuh is in a golf tournament with two top players in Savannah, Georgia and has fallen 12 stokes behind. Bagger Vance gives Junuh the following […]
Energy Follows Attention
November 22, 2016 by
When I was studying for my certification as an authorized teacher of the enneagram with Helen Palmer, she would almost always say in the trainings, “Energy follows attention!” This has stuck with me since 1988, and I have experienced it as a fact. If I put my attention on writing this article, for example, my […]
Zen Meditation Study
September 20, 2016 by
A recent Zen meditation study reveals that experienced meditators have a high degree of resilience when it comes to dealing with distractions. This implies that distractions caused by thoughts can be noted and discarded easily as well. They can dismiss the negative effects of stress and let them go. “Researchers conducting the Zen meditation study […]
The Best Season of Your Life
March 7, 2015 by
These words of wisdom from Wumen touched me the moment I read them. He was the compiler or and commenter on the Mumonkan (The Gateless Barrier) – a collection of 48 koans – stories, dialogues, questions or statements used to trigger enlightenment in Zen Buddhism and Chan Buddhism. This was one of the first books […]
Compassion and Empathy
December 17, 2014 by
Roshi Joan Halifax is one of the most prominent female Zen masters of our day. We have known each other since we met at a retreat with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1997. This was during the summer of my first episode of muscle invasive bladder cancer. […]
Refuge Beyond Time
November 30, 2014 by
A few days ago, we had an article about Huineng, the sixth patriarch of Zen. Tomorrow, we will have another. In these words of wisdom we hear from a later Chan (Zen) Master, Hongzhi, writing about the refuge beyond time. The refuge beyond time occurs “where the three times cease.” This is the place where […]
The Freshness of Life
November 20, 2014 by
These words of wisdom about the freshness of life by Uchiyama Kosho Roshi come to us from the Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. My friend, Roshi Joan Halifax is the founder of Upaya and its abbess. I look forward to her emails weekly. Uchiyama Kosho Roshi lived between 1912 and 1988. He […]
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 […]
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