Monthly Archives: January 2018

With noble virtues and the power of concentration, meditation practitioners do not crave for reputation or profit. They destroy pride and arrogance. Their nature is mild and they do not harbor malice, nor do they feel miserliness or envy. They … Continue reading →

A good meditation has little or nothing to do with ‘extra-sensory perceptions’ or escaping temporarily from suffering. A walk, a nap, a vacation, or a warm bath can be more effective for such purposes. If we continue to harbor the same … Continue reading →

No silken cloth touched Ippen’s skin. He never took gold or silver in his hand, and strictly refrained from liquor, meat, and the five forbidden flavors. Thus he polished the jewels of the ten major precepts. —The Record of Ippen

However many species of living beings there are —whether born from eggs, from the womb, from division, or spontaneously; whether they have form or do not have form; whether they have perceptions or do not have perceptions; or whether it … Continue reading →

The very moment of remembering the Buddha is the very mo­ment of seeing the Buddha and the very mo­ment of becoming the Buddha. The very moment of seeking birth in the Pure Land is the very moment of attaining birth … Continue reading →

The Tathagata speaks of things as they are, speaks what is true, and speaks in accord with reality. He does not speak deceptively or to please people. —Buddha Shakyamuni, Diamond Sutra

What we call “I” is blind passions. If there is any attachment to the self, the Dharma that is practiced and the practitioner attached to the self are separated from each other, so it is altogether impossible for practice to be fulfilled. All the … Continue reading →

“I didn’t want to think it.” “I didn’t mean to say it.” “I didn’t intend to do it.” How many times have we said these or similar words to ourselves or others? When we entertain unwelcome thoughts, utter words that … Continue reading →

Birth is suffering. Aging is suffering. Disease is suffering. Death is suffering. I am separated from those I love. I seek what I want but do not find it. I encounter the unpleasant at every step. Making my body the … Continue reading →

Birth is suffering. Aging is suffering. Disease is suffering. Death is suffering. I am separated from those I love. I seek what I want but do not find it. I encounter the unpleasant at every step. Making my body the … Continue reading →