Jane Andino examines the question of how we, as Zen lay practitioners, can be in the world and also in our True Home. How do we find freedom of action and ease in our home, the world? ‘At Home in the World’ is the title of a chapter in a book by Steve Hagen of the Minnesota Zen Centre. This
There are three primary practices in Zen training – Mindfulness of breathing, Koan practice which is working with an existential question and silent illumination practice.Silent illumination is both a practice method and realisation of mind. We need to make a distinction between silent illumination which is the direct realisation of mind and silent illumination that entails a practical practice. What
This is one of the primary Koans in Zen training used to open and awaken the mind. Zen Master Bassui, who was passionate about this koan urged his students throughout his life to take up this question. Our practice of Who’s hearing has strong resonances with the indigenous practice of Dadirri. Dadirri is a word that comes from the language of
Come on a pilgrimage with Fa-yen and get lost in the mind of not knowing. In this era of Covid 19 the fact of uncertainty has been front and centre. It has become clear that whatever we think, we really don’t (and can’t) know what is going to happen next. “I don’t know” opens the door to powerful field of
Encountering the soundscape at Kodoji is one of the treasures of sitting in the magical valley. Bird songs, rain songs, wind songs, cricket songs, kitchen songs, to name a few—natural and naturally merging with the mind. With the sound of deep silence holding everything there. Only the occasional shrill ring of the telephone can be disturbing, setting up a scurry
What ailment does the Buddha Dharma address? What is it to be healed? Yunmen shares the good news. You might say that the cosmic, blue Medicine Buddha is constantly dispensing spiritual remedy! This talk was given by Maggie Gluek at a zazenkai in February, 2020, when Covid 19 was a vaguely alarming threat but before the virus became a global pandemic
“With no hindrance in the mind; no hindrance and therefore no fear; far beyond delusive thinking, right here is Nirvana.” Heart Sutra. Recently we had International Women’s Day on March 8, and the Women’s March 4 Justice Rally on March 15. I came across this relevant excerpt from ‘The Hidden Lamp’ by Florence Caplow and Susan Moon. It’s from Dipa
As all things are buddha-dharma, there is delusion, realization, practice, birth and death, buddhas and sentient beings. As myriad things are without an abiding self, there is no delusion, no realization, no buddha, no sentient beings, no birth and death. The buddha way, in essence, is leaping clear of abundance and lack; thus there are birth and death, delusion and
In these Covid times Jane Andino reflects on what is a virus and what is a cure. She delves into Yumen’s words about medicine and sickness mutually corresponding with one another…. ‘the whole universe is medicine, what is the self?’ This talk, based on Case 87 from the Blue Cliff Record, was given at Rohatsu sesshin in December 2020
Peter Bursky explores the Buddha’s experience of seeing the Morning Star when he was sitting under the Bodhi tree. Yamada Roshi once said, “the basis and central focus of Buddhism is the enlightenment experience of Shakyamuni Buddha.” Rohatsu (8 December) is normally the day on which we, together with Zen communities throughout the world,celebrate the Buddha’s realisation. This talk –