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….
Tag: Buddhist practice
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…
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…
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…
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…
A Bejeweled Life
Dharma Talk – Aesha Drozdowski Last week, my employer initiated a webinar series inviting all colleagues to participate. The topics will vary but will center around how we can support one another as we recover from several waves of the pandemic. The first topic was “Caring for Each Other: Managing Moral Distress”. It provided an…
Dharma Glimpse: Learning Patience
Dharma Glimpse – Sharon Aaron The Sangha has been part of my life for about the last 8 years. The Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha have been front and center! I love my practice and the opportunity I have had to learn, to grow, and to serve. That said I was very surprised and…
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…
On Lack & Happines
ON LACK & Seeking Happiness Today I want to talk about a feeling that many of us experience – it can be persistent, and it can be the source of much suffering. Many of us may not even be aware of how much it affects us. For much of the world, this feeling is an…
Violence as Entertainment?
Today’s dharma talk has been retitled Violence as Entertainment? The seeds of this talk were first planted that moment, some of you know that moment when your kid becomes interested in some violence he sees on the TV screen. That moment when you grab him quick to avert his eyes. Of course, the only thing…
Everyday Nembutsu 