In Secret Oral Instructions on Practice we hear how to ”maintain the essence” from a 20th century Tibetan Buddhist teacher, Kyabje Künzang Dechen Lingpa. These injunctions resonate with Dogen’s teaching on “zazen-only” and the option of realising it in all our expressions and activities. Each one of us can open the Dharma gate of ease and joy. This teisho was
In this guided meditation Will gives instructions on how to work with the koan ‘who is hearing?’. ‘Who is hearing’ is one of the primary koans taken up by students of Zen under the supervision of a Zen teacher. This practice instruction wasgiven by apprentice teacher Will Moon during the Autumn sesshin of 2025 at Kodoji.
Recently, I was fortunate to be invited to attend a ceremony at the retreat centre Karuna in Katoomba. The occasion was the gifting of a bowl which had held the ashes of Thich Nhat Hahn. This was a gift from the Mountain Spring monastery in Bilpin in the Blue Mountains to Karuna. Apart from the Plum Village monastics who conducted
Jane Andino looks at the reinterpretation by Ch’an Buddhism of the Te or virtue of the Tao Te Ching, the famous Taoist text. She discusses how Zen transformed the language and imagery of Taoism to express its own message of wisdom and compassion. This talk was given on day 2 at the SZC Rohatsu sesshin 2021
How do we find abundance in our lives in this time of lack and insecurity? Jane Andino looks at Case 10 of the Wu-Men Kuan as a starting point for a reflection on following the Zen path of practice, leading to peace but also responsibility. This talk, given by apprentice teacher Jane Andino was given at the zazenkai in January 2022
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
Words! The Way is beyond language, for in it there is no yesterday, no tomorrow, no today. Verses on the Faith Mind Now that we are talking more together as a Sangha with our online Zoom sessions, I’m struck by how the discussions on Dharma topics are unfailingly insightful, full of community wisdom, often humorous, and always generous. What a
Paul Maloney, roshi discusses the image of self we cultivate and cling to and how it relates to the Buddha’s teachings on impermanence and interconnectedness. The Second Mark of Existence – Anattā The Buddha tells us, “When you develop the perception of impermanence, then the conceit of ‘I AM’ will be abandoned.” The conceit “I am” (asmi māna) is found
Jane Andino explores ‘Not-knowing’ and looks at how to embrace that mind of attentive openness and wonder. This talk was given on day 2 of Winter sesshin 2020 and refers to Case 20 in the Book of Serenity.
Paul Maloney, roshi explores our desire to have stability and security in the face of the Buddha’s teachings on impermanence, and the reality of a dynamic ever changing world. In the words of the poet, The times are a changing. But when were they not changing? The first of the three marks of existence that the Buddha taught was Anicca,
