The Master would teach his students, “Understand your true self.” One day, one of his students asked him, “Do you understand your true self?” He said, “I don’t know. But I understand this ‘don’t know’.” From a young age, many of us are afraid to be someone who doesn’t know. Maybe we are afraid…
Tag: oneness
The Grace of Parents and Other People
The past few dharma talks were based on this idea, a quote form Daesan a Buddhist teacher, “ There is a reason why we have two eyes. One is for looking inward and observing our mind, and the other is for looking outward and finding Grace.” In some ways, these simple lines are a…
Offerings to the Buddhas
In his commentary of the Tan Butsu Ge or the Song of the Buddha; a section from the Larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra, Gyomay Sensei writes, “ Ku Yo, of offering is a very important virtue in the Buddha’s Way…Ku Yo is done in relation to someone who is more worthy than oneself…to do Ku Yo is…
The Bowing Bodhisattva
One of my favorite parts of the Lotus Sutra is the story of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging. This Bodhisattva was said to have lived in the mythic past and he did not devote his time to reading or reciting the scriptures, but simply went about bowing to people, bowing in reverence to everyone he met…
We are all Refugees.
Lately the world seems on fire, with mass shootings, mass migrations and terrorist attacks. People are more polarized of late, cultural shifts, deep old wounds are festering and all of these are changing the landscape, the earth seems to be moving under their feet and many are taking refuge in nationalism, bigotry and fear. The…
Spiritual Community and Spiritual Ego
As a fellowship we and focus on similar values and ideals that we see and feel as important, worthwhile. We also look for commonalities within and without the group. We find strength and refuge in our common values and ideas. At the same time in expressing and practicing these commonalities, we also identify those that…
Everyday Nembutsu 