‘This very body and mind are not merely the five skandhas. Our wondrous existence is most excellent, and should not be an object of desire. Without coming or going, we simply respond to sounds and colours. Further, we turn around from our center, and move out in the eight directions. Negating all dualities, our feet […]
‘Thoroughly observing each thing with the whole eye is a patch-robed monk’s spontaneous conduct.’ (Cultivating the Empty Field)
The weather has shifted in the Bay Area: we had several decent bouts of rain, and now the skies are clear and the temperature is in the seventies. The wind has dropped, leaving a rare sense of peace and stillness in this generally windy city. My life has been quite full recently, with some lovely […]
‘Without this being, there are no other beings. This is called wondrous dharma or true dharma. We cannot grasp it with our concepts, and yet, as a reality, it’s right in front of us.’ (Living By Vow)
‘Gentlemen of affairs these days, though, are quick to want to understand Ch’an. They think a lot about the scriptures and the sayings of the ancestral teachers, wanting to be able to explain clearly. They are far from knowing that this clarity is nonetheless an unclear matter. If you can penetrate the word “Mu”, you […]
‘The true benefit of focusing on and taking a break from busyness is that it brings more kindness and love into our lives. With less busyness and unnecessary effort, more kindness and love can rise to the surface, leading to more effectiveness, energy and focus. When we feel depleted, love is the best replenisher – […]
Break open A cherry tree And there are no flowers, But the spring breeze, Brings forth a myriad blossoms!
‘The ultimate purpose of spiritual practice, universally awakened heart/mind, cannot be set apart from our own inherent being and our immediate moment-to-moment awareness.’ (Introduction to Cultivating the Empty Field)
‘Many people mistakenly believe that the way to be spiritual and find peace in their lives is to wrestle the “me” to the ground. To conquer it. To force themselves to submit to a set of ideas about how they should be. They begin a process of tightening themselves, cutting off their feelings or pretending […]
‘When you realize buddha dharma, you do not think, “This is realization just as I expected.” Even if you think so, realization inevitably differs from your expectation. Realization is not like your conception of it. Accordingly, realization cannot take place as previously conceived. When you realize buddha dharma, you do not consider how realization came […]
