Zen Koan – Be an Ancient Tree in a High Wind

Dharma Blog Post: There’s a koan :  Be  an ancient tree in a high wind. This koan can inspire a way to approach the forces and energies in our lives that catch us up and blow against our fixed ideas about things. And it brings to mind, too, what is ancient in...

Scattering and Presence

Dharma Blog: While looking at a photo of a group of friends, I was struck by the various expressions as they looked at the camera. One was beaming, a couple were smiling dutifully, one was quite doubtful. All but the beamer had several things going on. Each expressed...

Taking Refuge

Dharma Blog: We always have the choice of what our basis of operation will be. Even when we lose track and forget who we most fundamentally are, our Buddha nature continues to operate. And we can, by simply remembering our vow to awaken, turn our heart and mind back...

Natural and Unclouded

Dharma blog: We human beings are always at play in the ordinary conditions of our life. We experience our days and nights through the lens of all our previous experiences, our fantasies and expectations of a “future”, our temperament, through our senses, our...

Just Walking

Dharma Blog   It’s one thing to “just walk” when doing walking meditation (kinhin) during formal practice. Mind and body doing the same thing. But how do we carry over our practice as we walk around during the day? Same activity, different state of mind,...