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….
Dharma Glimpse: ” I can see clearly now, the rain is gone “
DHARMA GIMPLSE BY JOSEPH CALDIERO Here is the Dharma glimpse; Shinran Shonin said, “Although I too am within Amida’s grasp passions obstruct my eyes and I cannot see him; nevertheless, great compassion is untiring and illumines me always. “ quoted in Shinjin, 17 In light of this statement I’ll tell you a story to help…
Dharma Glimpse: Imperfection
Rachel Kosin-Yo Becker A few weeks ago, our Sensei gave a talk on imperfection. I thought the fact that he gave this talk was serendipitous. Earlier that morning I had walked by some spots on the carpeting in the hall of my house. Looking at the spots I thought, “Ugh! Why did I pick this…
ZEN KOANS No Imitation and Beyond Reason
DHARMA GLIMPSE BY AESHA Drozdowski – OCTOBER 2ND 2021 As some of you may be aware, I am in the process of completing the Bright Dawn Lay Ministry program. Bright Dawn Center for Oneness was founded by Rev. Gyomay Kubose and spiritual leadership was passed on to his son, Reverend Koyo Kubose in 1998. The…
THIS VERY BODY IS THE BODY OF THE BUDDHA
DHARMA GRETCHEN SAIYO 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…
GOOD MEDICINE
Good Medicine – Retreat Reflections by Lindsay Zaiyo Freed Nostalgic reflections of our summer retreat in the Uinta mountains regularly tug at my memory. It was, in one word – bliss. A short but very sweet time to be fully present and deliciously silent; a time to savor the depths of awareness and enjoy the…
TOO MANY BUDDHAS
DHARMA GLIMPSE BY RACHEL BECKER MAY 19 2021 When we packed up our belongings, I volunteered to take the alter, the decorations for the alter, and anything else that couldn’t be fit in other members’ spaces into my home. I ended up with artificial orchids, small tables, and 4 Buddhas – 2 of them VERY…
Way of Oneness
Dharma Glimpse my Maurena Grossman While trying to decide what to talk about I revisited the book Bright Dawn: Discovering Your Everyday Spirituality by Rev. Koyo Kubose. At the end of the book there is a section on the author, which I had not read before. I learned that when Rev. Koyo Kubose, an American…
Calling Upon Ourselves as Kwan Yin
DHARMA TALK BY CHRISTOPHER KAKUYO SENSEI We have been seeing so much suffering in our world as of late, some of it brought on by events such as the pandemic, others brought on by our unwillingness to see things as they are, a learned and at times deliberate ignorance. We may see ourselves as eagles…
Big Sky Mind
A Dharma Talk by Christopher Kakuyo Sensei Ever since I was a small boy I have been in love the vast blue sky – some of my earliest memories are of the crazy summer blues of Colorado’s mountain skies and the bluest of blue in the fall as the aspens would turn gold – I…
Everyday Nembutsu 