One Bright Pearl

the white ox refuses to leave
suddenly - Bong!
dinner bell ringing
.

Rohatsu Sesshin is upon us here at Sanshinji. We will begin by having dinner together at 6:00pm and then meet again at 7:30pm for Okumura Roshi’s orientation talk. When he finishes sharing his words of encouragement, we will turn and face the wall, as the Buddha did all those years ago.
We sit a classic Uchiyama [...]

Everywhere I turn, green greets me. Energy trills through my body as the trees, grass, and flowers of late spring stand out in their fullness of life. I am reminded of adventure, the adventure a young boy senses as a new day waits outside the door, during those precious first weeks of summer vacation.  I [...]

one
drop
splash!

A large, spacious room, unfolded before me. It seemed to be part of a rustic lodge, with beautiful blonde ash woodwork, framing a grand window, that looked out upon a natural mountain vista.
Outside the window, a herd of ancient buffalo, or perhaps muskox, munched placidly in a high alpine meadow. I noticed that their coats [...]

In response to a visitor’s comment, I felt compelled to expound a little of what has been shared with me.
It is all Buddha Nature… or is it? It is indeed. Buddha Nature pervades the entire universe, right here, right now. The pure lotus land unrolls moment by moment. But do we know that in our [...]

Let people think whatever they may think. Let them even call you crazy. If you spend your whole life practicing in accordance with the Buddha-Way and refrain from what goes against the buddha-dharma, you needn’t worry about what people think of you. Tonsei, retreat from the world, means being free from the sentiments of worldly [...]

a life long mistake
begins to bloom
through no fault of my own
.

For just a moment
No one knew
Who was going beyond thought
.

“You must understand that we practice within delusions and attain realization before enlightenment.“  Dogen Zenji - Chapter 3: Gakudo Yojinshu

What does it mean to have a practice?
Practice is not done in isolation, and at the same time isolation is not what you think it is. The Buddha proclaimed, “I, alone, am the only one!”
What is [...]