In history, the Buddha delivered so many words for wisdom. His students recorded them as a volume of countless sutras. They spent their entire lives reading and studying these precious, voluminous sutras. Even in his days, the Buddha’s words were invaluable. Whenever he delivered his sermons, his disciples were so eager to listen to them … Continue reading The Flower Sermon
I and Thou
How can we know we do exist? Touching the ground, can we feel we are standing on it? Holding our body, can we sense it on this ground? Facing the world, can we recognize that we are a tiny part of it? How about someone we love? How about someone we hate? With them, can … Continue reading I and Thou
The Imitation of Christ
If we would go back to the stricter tradition, Advent is the season for fasting just like Lent. Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches still observe this tradition - fasting for 40 days before Christmas. Advent is from the Latin word, Adventus, which means coming or arrival. And traditionally, we should anticipate and reflect on these … Continue reading The Imitation of Christ
Moon on the Water
Zen Mater, Dōgen (1200-1253) once said: Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water. The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken.Dōgen (道元) It is one of the well-known koans (公案) that we could reflect on in our meditation. Sitting nearby a lake in the middle of the night under the … Continue reading Moon on the Water
Supernaturally Real
When we were a child, we were afraid of darkness. Waking up in the middle of the night, we had to be courageous enough to go to a restroom alone. Even during the daytime, walking through dark woods required our courage, too. We didn't know why, but we felt some awful monsters must be hiding … Continue reading Supernaturally Real
Happiness is the Way
Thich Nhat Hanh’s well-known quote is this: There is no way to happiness; happiness is the way. We tend to believe that the ideal world is somewhere far away from here and now. Our life is a long path to reach this special goal. As far as the Hero’s Journey is concerned, this perspective is … Continue reading Happiness is the Way
Breathing, the Third Eye
There are various kinds of meditation in Buddhism. Well-known is a sitting meditation called Zazen (座禅) in Japanese. Sitting straight, we focus on subtle movements of breathing in and out, noticing our diaphragm. Traditionally, we call this breathing technique Zuisokukan (随息観). Zui (随) means to follow. Soku (息) for breathing, and Kan (観) for observing … Continue reading Breathing, the Third Eye
