Maggie Gluek

Trust in the Way

Be faithful! Be faithful! Trust and faith are almost synonyms, with slightly different shadings. However you language it, this quality, this mind, is essential to our Zen Buddhist practice. Core. It is indeed the last word that Zen Master Raven offers to his community. Where do you place your trust? How does it support you on a dark path? What

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Gifts from the Ancestors

One of the joys of studying the Dharma, particularly in the context of Zen Buddhism, is to become acquainted with the words of the old teachers, individuals ever creative in their ability to express the inexpressible. One such was Hsüan-sha (835-908). He was a fisherman until at age thirty he took up the Buddha Way. As an ascetic he wore

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Ritual

Maggie explores and valorises the role of ceremony in Zen practice. Ritual objects and actions help us to forget the self and be fully present. They bring sangha into a harmonious one. Beyond formal practice in the dojo, any action in life can be taken with loving care and presence, in the interest of all beings, our mahasangha of One.

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Stone Lion

Maggie examines a koan which explores the nature of fear as well as the imperative to walk straight into the heart of fear. Finally, it lands on the matter of taking full responsibility, for everything…..with a bow to the Precepts, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and your own unique self. This teisho was given by Maggie Gluek, roshi on day 4

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Working hard?

Who is the one working hard? Busy, busy, busy! Take out your broom and sweep the path clean. But beware being driven by a need to get things done or by the desire to get somewhere. In a playful exchange with his dharma buddy, Yunyan challenges us to remember that there is someone who does not work hard. That someone

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Let it go

 “Let it go” is almost a mantra in the dojo, where we are encouraged to abandon discursive thinking and return to our single point of practice. It’s instructive to consider the mental and emotional baggage you bring to zazen and thus discover that it is unnecessary. But what if you see the emptiness of phenomena? What if you and I

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Peaceful mind

Not a few of us come to practice to find peace of mind. Just so Huike, the protagonist of this story.  Let’s see how determination, faith and surrender help him in his quest and how Bodhidharma turns him upside down. It’s a dramatic tale and one that is foundational to the Zen tradition. This teisho was given by Maggie Gluek,

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