The three poisons or the three roots (of suffering) were the subject of Brother Phap Vu‘s dharma talk on Saturday, April 30, 2016 at the Earth Holder Retreat in the Deer Park Monastery. The three poisons are variously translated as shown in the following table (reading down) desire greed attraction hatred ill-will aversion ignorance illusion […]
Garry Shandling was a Buddhist
I did not know that Garry Shandling was a Buddhist until I read this story on the Lion’s Roar website in an article titled, “He Never Said No” – The inside story of Garry Shandling’s Buddhism. It turns out that Garry Shandling was a friend of Brother Phap Hai, a monk in the Plum Village […]
The Bells of Mindfulness from Mother Earth
The polar ice caps are melting. BONG! The sea levels are rising. BONG! The deserts are expanding. BONG! The temperature is rising. BONG! Species are becoming extinct. BONG! Water sources are depleting. BONG! The rainforests are disappearing. BONG! These bells of mindfulness from Mother Earth are ringing over and over again. Are we listening to […]
Is Anxiety Useful?
During the past few weeks, I have been anxious about how my dharma talk on the Seven Principles of Mindfulness in Healing was going to turn out at The Club at Harbor Point last Thursday night (August 20, 2015). Now I am wondering, “Is anxiety useful?” Was being anxious useful to me during the time […]
The Sound of the Bell in Plum Village
This video presents the sound of the bell in Plum Village, the home of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. The images of the trees in the forest of Whittle Dene in Northumberland complement the sound of the bell. In Plum Village, the bell is invited many times during the day. It is invited to awaken […]
The Teachings of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh
For more than thirty years now I have been following the teachings of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, known as Thay by his followers. You can’t imagine the sadness I felt when I learned that he is in ill health. I took the longest walk since the onset of my cancer last December yesterday with […]
Vipassana Meditation Day 1
Satya Narayan Goenka, also known as S. N. Goenka, was the foremost lay teacher of Vipassana meditation of our time. He was the foundational teacher of Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, and many other people that have appeared on these pages. His ten day vipassana meditation course is responsible for the popularity and growth […]
Dharma Talk by Lama Surya Das
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 […]
Walking Meditation For Healing
These words of wisdom come form Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, known as Thay by his followers. One of the central teachings of Thay and the practices in the Plum Village tradition is walking meditation. I remember vividly the experience I had on my first retreat with Thay in 1997. After the morning dharma talk, […]
Another Take On The Bodhisattva
Roshi Bernie Glassman delivered another take on the bodhisattva at the Sivananda Yoga Retreat from May 6-12, 2011. He delivered a dharma talk on “Becoming a Mensch.” What is a mensch? My dad used to point out that this person was a mensch. What did he mean? It was a person with the qualities of loving kindness, […]
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