Serenity

From Mushin:      Enjoying serenity is the third of the Eight Realizations of an Awake Person. If you want to enjoy serenity, realize it flowing directly in the still point at the very center of this moment. Zazen helps us realize serenity. Serenity in...

We’re all in this Together

From Sogen: We all have personalities, and at the same time we are all part of the whole world. In our practice, on and off the cushion, we come to know our habitual thoughts, opinions, desires, feelings, and practice setting them aside. Setting them aside so we can...

Morning Zazen

From Mushin Recollecting and forgetting. This is a pulse that runs through a life of practice. Starting a day with zazen, as we do every day at Sangha Jewel, orients us to the completeness of our life, our breath, and the full possibilities of each moment. Zazen...

Four Methods of the Bodhisattva

Dogen Zenji offered us Four Methods of the Bodhisattva. The first is generosity, what and how we give. Our daily lives are where we offer our energies, our hearts, our efforts. As in zazen, where we sit in our authentic self, when we’re not on the cushion one way that...

Existential Investigation

From Mushin: We gathered for a summer movie night at Sangha Jewel, where we watched I Heart Huckabee. The story begins with Albert confused and worried about coincidences that he feels have some meaning which he can’t figure out. His confusion prompts him to seek help...