The Heart of the Matter
The Heart of the Matter My father would have been in a coffin when I was 16 years-old had he not noticed subtle changes in
October 26, 2022
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Buddhist Philosophy
The Heart of the Matter My father would have been in a coffin when I was 16 years-old had he not noticed subtle changes in
Healing in Zen Manjushri said, “Go out and bring back one stalk of medicinal herb.” Sudhana left and looked throughout the entire earth, but there
The Gate of Repentance All my past and harmful karma, born from beginningless greed, hate and delusion, through body speech and mind I now fully
What Does Receiving the Precepts Mean? One should be mindful at each moment of the ceremony and receive the precepts as one’s own. Dogen Zenji
Teacher Qualities in Soto Zen Zen teachers profoundly influence the way we see the world. My teacher, Rev. Dai-En Bennage, taught me, through her own
Never Miss an Opportunity to Hear the Dharma From “Zen Speaks,” by Tsai Chih Chung Previous Next “How can I see straight? How can I
Butterfly Heart Effect by Keith Knapp Image by Daishin McCabe Beating flutter of the Divine within Convergence points all, between and among Start of a
If Enlightenment is possible here and now and in this lifetime regardless of prior knowledge or practice, the question remains whether Enlightenment happens by grasping it or by letting it go. Zen Master Dogen, in speaking to his assembly during the celebration of the Enlightenment of the Buddha tells us that there are two causes and conditions for accomplishing the Buddha Way.
The Soto school of Zen is not concerned with whether we have some special experience or an “aha” moment or insight. Shunryu Suzuki Roshi says, “These forms are not a means of obtaining the right state of mind. To take this [zazen] posture is itself the right state of mind. There is no need to obtain some special state of mind.”
Many are familiar with the yin-yang symbol, but few of us know what it means or how it is applied to real life. In Zen Master Dogen’s time this symbol was taken for granted. Not just Dogen Zenji, but all of Japanese culture connects the solstice with the yin-yang energy that fluctuates depending on the time of year.
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