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…
Namu Amida Butsu: The Call Home
“Come as you are,” is a call many of us have longed to hear; it embodies one of the many meanings of Namu Amida Butsu. It invites us to come just as we are—there’s no need to feel embarrassed, ashamed, or afraid. This phrase represents a welcoming home for us in our current state, both…
Broken and Whole at the Same Time.
“Come as you are” is a heartfelt invitation that many of us have longed to hear. This message is captured in the various meanings of Namu Amida Butsu. For me, Namu Amida Butsu represents a call from the core of reality, encouraging us to return home and embrace ourselves just as we are—free from embarrassment,…
On Ritual
Today, I want to discuss rituals in relation to Buddhism and Buddhist practice, Before we begin, I want to share a few words and have you shout out the first thing that comes to your mind. Faith Belief Prayer Ritual Evil Sin Most of us have left the traditions of our fathers and mothers and…
Smokey the Bear Sutra
Here is the sutra written by Gary Snyder from Dec 1st Dharma Talk. A link to the Dharma talk is at the bottom. The Sutra Once in the Jurassic about 150 million years ago, the Great Sun Buddha in this corner of the Infinite Void gave a discourse to all the assembled elements and energies:…
Driving Dharma Sutra: Rewind
Driving Dharma: Everyday Buddhism – Dharma talk given Jan 2023 Link to the dharma talk Today, I want to share some thoughts on a very contemporary form of dharma, which I call driving dharma. This is a relatively modern form of practice, being ushered in shortly after the dawn of the 20th century, and is one…
The Voice of the Buddha: Finding Dharma in Everything
Dharma Talk by Chris Kakuyo Leibow Today I want to explore a profound line from the Tan Butsu Ge, a poem found in the preamble of the ancient Buddhist scripture known as the Larger Sutra of Boundless Life. This particular verse speaks of how “the voice of the Buddha’s enlightenment reverberates through everything”—a concept that…
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…
In Praise of Failure
Dharma Talk – Christopher Kakuyo Leibow I want to start with a personal story. Let me paint you a picture. I’m about 43. I sit on the floor in a small room in a stranger’s house with my back against a wall. It’s late. I am watching reruns of Perry Mason on a 12-inch black…
THE WAY OF THE FOOLISH BEING
DHARMA TALK BY CHRISTOPHER KAKUYO SENSEI The Path of the Foolish Being Preface It is interesting how wandering through a bookstore on an unremarkable Wednesday can change your life forever. On one of those Wednesdays, while I was walking the aisles of Ken Sander’s bookstore looking for something to read, I serendipitously found what I…
Everyday Nembutsu 