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…
Tag: self-acceptance
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…
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…
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…
Everyday Nembutsu 