Buddha’s enlightenment is said to have happened in December, so we celebrate his awakening. As we bring the year to an end, I would like to leave you with two Dharma Talk Podcasts. The first one is by Norman Fisher and includes a wonderful “Fairy Tale” about Buddha’s enlightenment that comes from Thich Nhat Hanh’s book Old Path White Clouds. Norman Fisher – “The Buddha as a completely normal person“ http://everydayzen.org/teachings/2013/buddha-normal-person-all-day-sitting-december-2019/ The second Podcast is last Sunday’s Dharma talk at […]
Category Archives: Weekly Dharma Study
Sunday Meditation Practice – Times are Changing
Our Sunday evening practice is changing to Sunday morning practice! Starting October 6, 2019. At the close of our last retreat, it was the consensus of the sangha members present that it would be easier for most to have our Sunday practice be in the morning instead of the evening. So starting on Oct 6, 2019 we will be meeting at 10:00 am for our meditation practice. Sunday Morning Practice Session: The doors open at 9:30 am and the practice session […]
An uprising of decency
In his opinion piece in the New York times today David Brooks makes the poignant point that “We need an uprising of decency”. He refers to the last debate where Marianne Williamson made some very interesting observations about politics in our country. He says “It is no accident that the Democratic candidate with the best grasp of this election is the one running a spiritual crusade, not an economic redistribution effort.” Here is a link to the article. I always […]
Earth Day – Every Day
Some 40 years ago I went back to the land, built a homestead and grew much of my own food. It was a dream many shared back then and still do today. It is in our nature to be in nature. It was during this time that I came across the writings of Wendell Berry. I went for a hike a couple of days ago at Myakka State Park. As I walked alone in solitude among the Oak hammocks […]
Don’t Believe Everything You Think!
If we are caught in the bubble of our own thinking, we are not truly practicing Zen and are only deluding ourselves. We are Buddhist practitioners in name only and our commitment goes up in smoke with the fire of like and dislike! We may wander around from one Teacher, Spiritual Center or Zendo, to another, trying to make the world into how we think it is, or blindly following like sheep as long as it feels good. By believing […]
The Platform Sutra of Hui-neng Dharma Study
Today’s Dharma Study will be “On Repentance” from The Sutra of Hui-neng. Here is a transcript of the chapter on Repentance, so that you may review it. Please join us, if you can, for this special Dharma Study… Transcript: On Repentance Once there was a big gathering of scholars and commoners from Kuang-chou, Shao-chou, and other places to wait upon the patriarch to preach to them. Seeing this, the patriarch mounted the pulpit and delivered the following address: In Buddhism, […]