Here’s the first talk from the sesshin last weekend at Deep Spring Zen Temple in Pittsburgh with a section on Dogen’s “Circle of the Way” – aspiration, practice, realization, nirvana. Burn it up. http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=14274414-ba0 Read more

We had a fine sesshin in Pittsburgh, thanks to Kyoki and all her crew. Rained all day on Saturday and then snowed on Sunday, making me feel right at home.  The sesshin theme was continuous practice and so I shared this to start from Mary:  …We all could use a little mercy nowI know we don’t deserve itBut we need it anyhowWe hang in the balanceDangle ‘tween hell and hallowed groundEvery single one of us could use some mercy now... Read more

We’re expecting more snow today. The picture above is what it might look like back in the woods, although the photo is from last year about this time.  I’m off soon to Deep Spring Zen Center up on Thirsty Hill near Pittsburgh for a weekend sesshin. We’ll be working on Gyoji or Continuous Practice as well as sitting a lot and meeting a bunch too in dokusan and dharma talk.  But before I go I want to tie up some... Read more

  Thanks for this Ven. Satima! Read more

The few times that I brought a personal issue to Katagiri Roshi – hoping to lean on him – he would say, “Stand on your own two feet.” I bring this up now because I’ve been reflecting again on power in dharma communities, a reflection that I’ve been revisiting for over 3o years. We may be in a critical phase in the transmission of the buddhadharma to the global culture. How we deal with power is one of the most... Read more

Yvonne Rand once told me about a conversation she had with Lama Govinda, a German-born guy who was one of the first dharma teachers of Western descent. He retired and lived out his last years at Green Gulch, I believe. It must have been in about 1983 and the Baker scandal was rocking San Francisco Zen Center.  “The problem,” the lama told her, “is that you Americans are all too eager to give up responsibility for your circle of protection.... Read more

Here’s a wonderful talk about the Sound-of-One-Hand koan, Hakuin and some of his women students, and the meditation of hearing by Subhana Barzaghi Roshi. She teaches at the Sydney Zen Centre and is a successor of Robert Aitken and John Tarrant.  “Avalokiteshvara (the bodhisattva of compassion) is the one who hears the sound and is awakened by the sound. Avalokiteshvara is the sound itself,” says Subhana. This is a warm-hearted introduction to koan practice as well. Click here and go... Read more

Here’s a piece from Daily Finance from a couple days back, “Is Oil Output Peaking or Not? Either Way, Cheap Oil Is Gone for Good.”   As investors and as drivers, most of us have an interest in the price of oil, and what it’s going to do next. But if you’re having trouble figuring out whether global oil production is about to peak — an occurrence that will inevitably be followed by a surge in oil prices — you’re... Read more

Well, we sure can make a mess of things, eh? One more point on the Genpo situation and then this old blog is moving on to the issue of submission to a teacher and beyond.  There’s a letter coming out from a bunch of respectable teachers that I decided not to sign for a number of reasons. Obviously, I’m not respectable.  But also I would keep it simple. Imho, organizations affiliated with Genpo should cut him loose. He oughta step... Read more

Here’s a letter from Les Kaye with some history very pertinent to the present situation with Genpo Merzel.  I’m very sad to read this detail. Dear Chet and Kanzeon Board Members; Chozen Bays has informed the AZTA membership that Genpo’s Salt Lake City students’ are concerned about AZTA’s  failure to respond to Genpo’s recent admissions. They asked her: “Why are all the Zen teachers silent about this situation with Genpo? ” ” Is there some kind of conspiracy to protect... Read more