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
Freedom comes in those moments when we are truly freed from our conceptual way of experiencing life, we directly experience the moment, no longer looking at everything through the lens of dualism. Those moments can be fleeting and, in a sense, as Zen practitioners it is our life’s work to, to free ourselves from the world of dualism and all
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,
A musical piece: Cello by Thomas Rann and Piano by Wu Quian recorded 2015
I can’t remember enjoying an autumn as much as I have this one. The golden light, the cool freshness of the air, the daily colourful progress of liquid ambers on our street, trees we’d actually never fully taken cognizance of before. The virtue of relative confinement has meant coming to appreciate the vividness of the local geography, what is right
Gillian Coote, roshi explores Yunmen’s koan in light of the pressures and stresses of our lives, especially the climate emergency, and ways we may awaken to these dharma gates. This talk was given at the SZC Spring sesshin in 2019