Good morning. So the title of this dharma talk is actually a quote from Rainer Maria Rilke: “Is not impermanence the very fragrance of our days?” I love this quote because it reminds me that our impermanence is what gives life meaning. The fleeting, unknowable, ephemeral, impermanent nature of being alive can bring heartbreak and…
Tag: mindfulness
Ordinary Awakening
In Ordinary Awakening, Christopher Kakuyo Leibow reflects on the freedom of being who we already are. Drawing on Shin Buddhist teachings, he reminds us that awakening isn’t escape but clarity—the humble seeing of our interdependence, where even the most ordinary moments shine with luminous truth.
The Truly Settled State: Resting in Amida’s Boundless Compassion
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…
Making Offerings to the Buddha
By Laura Bennett Welcome to another gathering of the Salt Lake Buddhist Fellowship. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Laura, and I’m one of the new practice leaders of our fellowship. I’ve been a member of the Sangha for a few years now, and I am grateful for the opportunity…
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…
Hide Self View
By Kimmy Dojinyo Sensei Hi, welcome, and thank you for being here with us in community. Today, I want to share how much I have been thinking about myself—specifically, my delusion of self. This Dharma Talk idea first came about during a Zoom meeting several years back, shortly after the COVID lockdowns, when a large…
The Space In Between: Miles Davis, Pure Land, and the Music of Emptiness.
by Steve Rojin Genyo Lefever 🪷 Opening Koans “Not knowing is most intimate.”Zen Master Dizang “It’s not the notes you play, it’s the notes you don’t play.”Miles Davis “True entrusting is living fully in the here and now.”Rev. Koyo Kubose 🎺 Who Was Miles Davis? Miles Davis (1926–1991) was one of the most influential jazz…
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…
Kintsugi: The Beauty of Imperfection
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…
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,…
Everyday Nembutsu 