By Laura Rose Good morning, everyone. Thank you for being here today. I want to begin this talk with a story– a parable that has stayed with me since I first heard it in high school, and one I still come back to often. It goes like this: There are these two young fish swimming…
Interbeing with the Earth / The Earth in Us, and Us in Each Other
Laura Bennett Let’s begin by settling into our bodies, into the present moment. I know we already did this a bit at the beginning of the ritual but it’s always relevant, and I want to put it in the context of the Earth. Breathing in, breathing out. I become aware of the whole sangha breathing…
Namu Amida Butsu in Our Tradition and in Everyday Life
By Laura Bennett I want to begin with a poem by Mary Oliver: “You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about…
Gratitude as Communion
Gratitude practice isn’t about forcing a feeling — it grows through presence, participation, and deep listening. In Sangha life, simply showing up, serving, and engaging with others can quietly transform how we see our lives. Gratitude arises as recognition of interdependence and support, not obligation. Through mindful awareness and community practice, appreciation becomes less a technique and more a way of meeting reality as it is.
The Delusive Self
Rio Branham How do you come as you are when you’re not happy with who you are? How do you accept the phrase nothing to fix when it feels like things are falling apart? Like my car door handle that broke so now I have to roll down the window and open the door using…
Already Held: The Journey of Self-Compassion
By Laura Bennett Lately, I’ve been on a journey to be more compassionate towards myself. For me, this has meant learning to offer more compassion towards the thoughts, sensations, emotions, perceptions, and habitual patterns that arise. This journey has also naturally lent itself toward learning how to truly receive compassion. When I say compassion here,…
A Prayer in Every Breath (It’s ok to suck at meditation)
By Kelly Branan I want to begin with something very simple:the sound of breathing. Let’s start by listening to a few of our own breaths. What do you notice? What parts of your body feel loud right now?Which parts feel quiet? Before we do anything else, before we try to understand anything, before we try…
The Human Condition
by Kimmy Sensei When we are newborns, one of the first pieces of information to get logged into ourmedical record is a diagnosis code. The most commonly received code in America is “Z-3-8”, this is the diagnosis code that describes being born. Being born is a condition. Being human is a condition. One that we…
Attend to All and Each
Chris Leibow’s dharma talk invites us to embrace the Buddhist mantra “come as you are” through Namu Amida Butsu, focusing on compassion, interdependence, and mindful presence. He reflects on the meaning of attending to ourselves and others within a unique, trans-ectarian Buddhist fellowship inspired by Pure Land teachings. This talk blends poetry and ancient wisdom to guide listeners toward awakening and wholeness in everyday life.
Embracing Impermanence – Mono No Aware –
In Chapter 32 of the Diamond Sutra, the Buddha teaches impermanence through poetry, likening our conditioned existence to dew, lightning, and dreams. This dharma talk reflects on impermanence (anicca), grief, and gratitude, inviting us to embody—not merely understand—the fleeting nature of life and to meet it with tenderness and presence.
Everyday Nembutsu 