by Gwen Juvenal The phrase Namu Amida Butsu, or the nembutsu, is central to our practice at the Buddhist Fellowship. We translate it as “Come as you are.” This simple invitation holds immense depth. It encourages us to set down the weight of who we think we are, or who we must be, and rest in infinite…
Tag: awakening
Face to Face Here And Now
By Kelly Branan When we say together, Namu Amida Butsu, we are not reciting a password. We’re not trying to pass some hidden test. We’re responding to an invitation—simple, yet profound: “Come as you are.” That’s it. No prerequisites. No spiritual résumé. No checklist of virtues. Just you, here, now, with all your baggage, all your…
The I 15 Sutra
Discover a profound Buddhist sutra fragment found on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, where the Buddha’s timeless teachings on mindfulness and compassion were originally spoken at the busy junction of Interstate 15 and Interstate 80. This unique text invites modern drivers to embrace the Eightfold Path amid their daily travels, turning moments of traffic stress into spiritual practice and inner peace.”
Not knowing is the most intimate.
Not Knowing – I would like to start today’s Dharma talk with one of the most famous of the Zen Koans – Attention! Master Dizang asks Fayan,“Where have you come from?”Fayan replies, “I pilgrimage aimlessly,”“What is the purpose of your pilgrimage?” asks Dizang.“I don’t know,” replies Fayan.“Not knowing is the most intimate,” remarked Dizang.At…
Mono No Aware – Embracing Impermanence.
For this Dharma talk, I want to open with a few lines from the Diamond Sutra from chapter 32. The Buddha has just finished his daily walk to Sarasvati to gather offerings for food. I can see them eating quietly, and when they are finished, Subhuti, one of his monks, asks the Buddha. “How, Lord,…
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…
Everyday Nembutsu 