Becoming a Zen Practitioner
I realized that Zen was not just something I wanted to do once in a while, but that it was something I wanted to be. It was not about my activities alone, but about my life.
Life Is Perfect Just As It Is
How to experience joy in every moment without bypassing the suffering present in every moment?
Thanksgiving Remixed
Can we also allow this to be a day set aside for gratitude for what we have, for those we love, and for those who we wish to be free of their suffering?
Understanding Our Mind
Our seeds of fear, anger, and delusion make the soil of our consciousness difficult to permeate.
May I Rest In Not Knowing
The Chinese character for crisis can also be translated as opportunity.
In the Aftermath of the Election
Now, more than ever, it is important to be connected in community, taking refuge in the sangha jewel.
The Poem That Has Haunted Me for Two Decades
When you manage for even a moment to be free from the constant sorting of each aspect of experience into like/dislike, favorable/unfavorable, and so on, that exact moment is nirvana.
Beyond Word and Letters
There can be an intellectual understanding of what Zen is but it doesn’t really penetrate into our whole lives deeply.
A Method of No Method
In Zen, freedom is not understood as a product of anything, certainly not of one's own efforts.
Delusion as Teacher
You don’t know when, but if you continue to practice, very naturally, that great enlightenment penetrates your life.
Practicing with Difficulties
We can bring the practice into our bodies, or rather, bring consciousness of our bodies into our practice.
The Three Tenets
When my bearing witness is grounded in not-knowing and taking action, I feel less overwhelmed by my perceived lack of capacity to meet the problems of the world.
Generosity and Gratitude
Giving-and-receiving has to do with realizing that we are not separate, that we cannot exist on our own.
A Note to our Sangha about the Rise of White Supremacy
This is not about who you vote for, but a call to action about how we as a community can show up during this time.
Spaciousness and Connection
I want to share a couple of simple practices that help me release and relax, even in the midst of a busy life.
Lost and Found
In Buddhism (our preconceived ideas of) "gain and loss" are considered two of the main things that continually drag us into unhappiness.
Coming Home
When I return to my seat for zazen in the early morning, I feel at home; settled, connected with myself and the world.
What the rain teaches us
Consciousness gives us the ability to have an awareness of how our actions affect others and ourselves.