The one we call the Buddha wanted to understand suffering and it’s causes. He tried indulging in all the worldly pleasures that he could and he didn’t find what he was looking for. He tried studying with some of the spiritual teachers of his day and he didn’t find what he was looking for. He tried extreme fasting and intentional discomfort and he didn’t find what he was looking for. So he sat under a tree with the great resolve... Read more
We see our “selves” as something real, something that is important and fixed. The most important thing about anything that’s ever happened is that it happened to me. But the truth is it didn’t happen to me. My beliefs and my sense of self are fundamentally different from what they were 20 years ago. Am I the same person? I don’t know. I know I’ve changed a great deal over the course of my life. Things that used to be... Read more
“The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don’t wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.” -Thich Nhat Hanh if you’d rather listen to a talk on this subject, click here: Suffering Life is full of suffering. That is a foundational teaching in the Buddhist tradition. That teaching hasn’t always resonated with me. “Suffering” feels like a really big word. When I think of that word, I think of being tortured or abused... Read more
“A practitioner who has spent time reflecting on karma will engage in as many positive actions as possible while avoiding harmful ones. When we focus on generating positive intentions and engaging in positive actions, our entire experience will be transformed as we sow the seeds for happiness.” -Khentrul Lodro Thaye The idea behind karma is that actions have consequences. Of course we know this. We are well aware that if you put your hand on a hot stove you’ll burn... Read more
“Practicing impermanence has the immediate benefits of bringing greater joy and appreciation to our lives. Even more beneficial than that, it spurs us on to liberation. The time to start using our human potential is now.” -Khentrul Lodro Thaye If you want to listen to a podcast on this subject, click here; Impermanence Nothing in this world lasts. We know this, but we are also sometimes committed to not understanding it. We fixate on things and wish for them to last.... Read more
I think asking questions is central to Buddhism. Many other religions are all about giving answers and telling us what to believe. Buddhism involves holding questions and being comfortable with not knowing all the time. In “Buddhism for Beginners” the nun Thubten Chodron says, “Spiritual practice is more about holding questions than finding answers. Seeking one correct answer often comes from a wish to make life – which is basically fluid – into something rigid and fixed. This often leads... Read more
We are lucky to be here. We don’t always think that way because our lives are a struggle. But we are. We have a special kind of freedom because we were born into these conditions. We were born in a time and place where we’re able to practice and study. If we had been born in some other context we may not have had that opportunity. We wouldn’t be able to understand suffering and the causes of suffering. We can... Read more
Where are we going? “If we want to understand ourselves and help all beings get out of suffering, we must first understand where this world’s suffering comes from. Everything arises from our minds,” -Zen Master Seung Sahn What do we want to do with our lives? Do we want to keep doing what we’re doing? Being deeply self-absorbed, chasing after sense pleasures all the time, harming ourselves and others with our confusion and bad habits, sleepwalking through life and missing... Read more
I’m about to do a series of writings about Compass of Zen and I thought I’d take a moment to share about my experience and to also share about who Seung Sahn was. For the record, I am not an expert. Many people have more experience and more useful things to say than me. I first heard of Zen Master Seung Sahn when a Monk approached me to tell me about the Five Mountain Zen Order. His name was Wanji... Read more
Make Your Life Meaningful “Now that I have this great ship, a precious human life, so hard to obtain, I must carry myself and others across the ocean of samsara. To that end, listen, reflect, and meditate day and night without distraction, is the practice of a bodhisattva.” – Thogme Sangpo, 37 Verses on the Practice of a Bodhisattva. I’m sharing a talk I gave at the Rime Buddhist Center on January 7th. Posted on January 7, 2024by podcasts Dharma talk given... Read more
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