This fragment of a dharma talk by Lama Surya Das came to me by email last week. Many lines in it support my rantings about meditation practices. I hope you enjoy this. “Dear Friends and Countrymen, lend me your tears and fears: Let me carry them for you. I have not come to praise you […]
Zen Practice
April 16, 2014 by
Peter Matthiessen is famous for his book, The Snow Leopard. He passed away on April 5, 2014 at the age of 81. It turns out the Matthiessen was a Zen Buddhist. I did not know this until these words of wisdom came in an email. Zen is really just a reminder to stay alive and […]
Love By Nyanaponika Thera
February 27, 2014 by
Love By Venerable Nyanaponika Thera Love, without desire to possess, knowing well that in the ultimate sense there is no possession and no possessor: this is the highest love. Love, without speaking and thinking of “I”, knowing well that this so-called “I” is a mere delusion. Love, without selecting and excluding, knowing well that to […]
8 Stages Of Mental Mastery
February 20, 2014 by
The Buddha taught the 8 stages of mental mastery. What are these 8 stages of mental mastery? Beginning with familiar objects on one’s own body, one visualizes small objects such as a tooth, a scar, or a sore, as if they were external objects. One does not judge whether the object is beautiful or ugly […]
Breathing – The Video
February 15, 2014 by
This video is from my dharma brother Joe Reilly. Joe is a singer, songwriter, and educator. I wish him great success. He is a young member of the Order of Interbeing started by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (known as Thay by his followers) in 1966. I am truly happy to see such wonderful, mindful […]
The Fertile Soil Of Sangha
February 13, 2014 by
These words of wisdom are taught by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (known as Thay by his followers). I have heard Thay teach about the fertile soil of sangha many times. He also teaches that the next Buddha, Maitreya, might well be a sangha. The sangha is one of the three precious jewels of Buddhism. […]
Imagination Shapes Reality
February 1, 2014 by
My first Zen teacher was Dainin Katagiri Roshi in 1972 when I did a 7 day sesshin (an intense period of meditation) at the San Francisco Zen Center (SFZC). In the 80’s, when I regularly attended Monday night sitting practice, my teacher was Myogen Steve Stucky. At the SFZC in Green Gulch Farm in Sausalito […]
Right View
January 26, 2014 by
These words of wisdom came to me from the Tricycle Daily Dharma for January 17,2014. They come from an article by Mark Epstein. Dr. Epstein is an American psychiatrist trained at Harvard who has been a practicing Buddhist since his early twenties. He is a frequent contributor to Tricycle Magazine. The quote from his article, […]
19 Reasons Why Pope Francis Is Time Magazine Person Of The Year
January 14, 2014 by
This is the text of an email I received from a friend of mine in the dharma. I am reproducing it here because I was so moved by the actions of Pope Francis. There are 19 reasons why Pope Francis is Time Magazine Person of the Year: I hope this Pope lives forever !!! Pope […]
Let My Heart Fly Open
January 1, 2014 by
Welcome to 2014. May this be the year that all your dreams come true. To begin the New Year with the right mindset, I’d like to offer the following metta practice. Metta is the Pali word for loving kindness. Loving kindness, in turn, is one of the Four Immeasurable Minds taught by the Buddha. The […]
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