The Buddha’s Way is unsurpassed, I vow to embody it fully. Indeed, the Buddha’s Way is only realised, made real, in and as this human body. Some of our sutras reference the four classic meditation postures. In the Metta Sutta:Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down – free from drowsiness, one should sustain this recollection(that is, of loving kindness).
Whenever a monk came to see him Luzu turned around and sat facing the wall.Full stop, end of story. This was his teaching. He offered no words. Our core practice is sitting. What does it mean? This talk considers zazen and the fact of a wall, drawing on the wisdom of Dogen and Aitken Roshi too. It meanders into a
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
Zen literature is full of invisible female sages. Here we meet a roadside teacher who gives wise counsel to monks searching for the way to Mt T’ai, the sacred mountain that is home to Manjusri, the bodhisattva of wisdom. Who is visible or invisible after all? Chao chou, acting as an undercover agent, declares that he has seen through her.
Maggie Gluek, roshi explores Hell. Where is its locus? Why does Chao chou say that are enlightened teachers are the first to go there? How do you support others in the depth of pain? How does suffering transform? This teisho, ‘Enlightened Teachers Fall into Hell’, was given by Maggie Gluek, roshi at Rohatsu sesshin 2023
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
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.
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
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
“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
