Pilgrimages to sacred Buddhist sites led by experienced Dharma teachers. Includes daily teachings and group meditation sessions. A local English–speaking guide accompanies and assists.
Weekly Teaching |
-
Green Koans Case #32: The Buddha's Mission
CASE #32: The Buddha’s MissionA sutra teaches: As long as selfish and defiled minds create their own worlds and circumstances, there will be no end to the Buddha’s mission. BACKGROUND:Their own worlds and circumstances A core teaching of Buddhism, found in numerous Mahayana sutras, states: “If a person’s mind becomes pure, his surroundings will also become pure.” Naturally, the obverse is also true: If a person’s mind is impure, his surroundings will be, too. That seems to be the meaning here. More » -
Not Changing Lanes
While I was commuting across the Golden Gate Bridge to San Francisco every day, I would notice how frequently people (including me!) changed lanes to get into what seemed to be the fastest lane at the moment. The bridge, built sixty years ago, is only six lanes across for both directions of traffic, so it would often get clogged. A hyperintelligent seagull, looking down on the scene from the top of the bridge, might observe what we down in our cars could not-that all that lane-changing activity was just slowing everybody down. More » -
20 comments
Koan Practice
This report of Master Shuzan's words may be put to you, should you become a student of Zen, who will set about trying to understand it. Just imagine yourself in this situation for a minute or two. You will meditate upon it while sitting in formal meditation (zazen) or working, or doing anything in the normal day. You become the koan and the koan becomes you. The mind, to begin with, may work with it in the customary way - asking, asking, wondering: If I can't call it a staff and I can't say it isn't a staff, what can I call it? Is it a staff after all? Was it ever a staff in the past? What was it in essence? What kind of wood was it made fram? What am I? What am I made of? ... The mind questions, questions, questions, and then you are again sitting before the Zen master (roshi) who is waiting for your comment. More » -
0 comments
You Are Both Zen and the Way
I would like to tell you a story from China. You may be familiar with the name of Joshu, who was a priest long ago. One day a monk asked him, "I am just a beginner in the practice of Zen. Please teach me how to do zazen." Joshu said, "Have you eaten breakfast?" "Yes," replied the monk, "I've had plenty for breakfast." Joshu said, "That's fine. Then wash your bowl and put it away." At that point the monk, who had resolved to seek the Dharma was just beginning the practice of zazen, said "I understand. Now I realize the direction of practice." So he went off happily. More » -
1 comment
Finding Comfort in Impermanence
The Buddha pointed out that any idea of existence or persistence is faulty. But he also pointed out that any notion of nonexistence is also flawed. Many people think that the Buddhadharma teaches that all is impermanent, that everything in the universe is in constant change, being born and dying endlessly. But this is not exactly what the Buddha taught (nor is it borne out by actual experience). Rather, he saw that there isn’t anything that comes or goes, that is born or dies. More » -
7 comments
What Happens If We Just Let Go?
What happens if we just let go? Nothing happens except inner liberation. There is still food on the table. We are still brushing our teeth in the morning. Ultimately nothing can go wrong. It’s all perfect as it is. If we are dying in the moment, it’s still perfect as it is. All is being taken care of in the realm of perfection. That realm is what reality truly is. More »
