Good morning. So the title of this dharma talk is actually a quote from Rainer Maria Rilke: “Is not impermanence the very fragrance of our days?” I love this quote because it reminds me that our impermanence is what gives life meaning. The fleeting, unknowable, ephemeral, impermanent nature of being alive can bring heartbreak and…
Category: Buddhist practice
On Humility: The Path of Studentship
DHARMA TALK by CHRISTOPHER KAKUYO Today, I want to share a few thoughts on humility. Some years ago, I came across a profound teaching by Nubuo Haneda in his book Dharma Breeze. In the first chapter, he recounts the origins of the Shin Buddhist tradition when Shinran meets his teacher, Honen. Here is the passage….
Kintsugi: The Beauty of Imperfection
For Today’s dharma talk, I want to share some ideas and feelings about the beauty of imperfection. To do this, I want to use a metaphor from Japanese material arts, Kintsugi. Metaphor helps us learn by adding a deeper, more emotive dimension. Metaphor tends to be the language of the heart. For me, kintsugi is…
THIS VERY BODY IS THE BODY OF THE BUDDHA
DHARMA GRETCHEN SEIYO SENSEI AUG 18 2021 There’s a Buddhist concept that our teachers are all around us. A little while ago I received a Dharma lesson from one of my brothers, although he didn’t know it and is very Christian. He lives in Michigan and we had been catching up on the phone. It…
Thank you, Jesus!
Dharma Glimpse by Gretchen Seiyo Sensei Given the title of this Dharma Glimpse, you may think I’ve gone completely off the rails. But, stay with me. I’m going to tell you about something people do that I really don’t like, and something I also don’t like about myself. Here’s what gripes me; have you ever…
Haiku as Awareness Practice.
I would like to talk about Kobayashi Issa and Haiku, well technically senryu as practice. Haiku’s focus us usually nature and senryu is like haiku but the focus is primarily on human nature and emotion. For today, when I say haiku I mean both haiku and senryu. So who is this Issa fellow. He…
Kwan Yin Goddess of Compassion
Here is something I wrote for the “blessing of the hands” event that is held each year at the University of Utah Hospital. Traditions from all over the valley come together to give spiritual support for all of the hospital caretakers, from janitorial staff, to surgeons. The blessing of the hands is returning after a…
What are you carrying?
For today’s dharma talk, I want to ask first a question, and then I want to share a story. Now I am going to ask you a question, and I want you to think about the question for a few moments and think about it – What are you still carrying? What are you…
Already Broken: Impermanence
I want to begin our discussion on Dharma today with a story shared by Mark Epstein, one of the pioneers in integrating psychotherapy and Buddhism. He recounts an encounter with his teacher, Ajahn Chah, many years ago. During this meeting, someone asked the master how genuine happiness is possible in a world where everything changes,…
We Call Upon Ourselves as Kwan Yin: On Mass Shootings in America.
by Christopher Kakuyo Sensei What can one say? I find myself at a loss for words again. Another mass shooting. Here is a vain attempt to share what I am feeling. Any words I could say to the families of the murdered or to their community would feel hollow, self-serving, so I could say my…
Everyday Nembutsu 