When non-action is realized, it is the true nature. There is no other buddha outside of that.

Jamgon Kongtrul, Creation and Completion

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Jan 29, 8:30am

Friday Feb 1, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 28, “Palm Forest”.

This Week’s Koan

Blue Cliff Record #97, Book of Serenity #58: “‘Getting Despised’ in the Diamond Sutra“

The Diamond Sutra says:

“It is about getting despised by other people. If you are to come into hell because of your sins in your previous life, these sins will be extinguished because you are despised by the people of this world.”

Thinking of human beings alone is a bit narrow. To consider that all sentient beings in the universe have been our mother at some point in time opens a space of compassion.

His Holiness The Dalai Lama – Imagine All The People

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Jan 22, 8:30am

Friday Jan 25, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 27, “All Dharmas Are On Fire”.

This Week’s Koan

Book of Serenity #67: “The Wisdom in the Kegon Sutra“

The Kegon Sutra says:

“Now I see all living beings everywhere, and I see that each of them possesses the wisdom and virtue of Tathagata. But because of their delusions and attachments, they cannot realize it.”

On the basis of the belief that all human beings share the same divine nature, we have a very strong ground, a very powerful reason, to believe that it is possible for each of us to develop a genuine sense of equanimity toward all beings.

His Holiness The Dalai Lama – The Good Heart

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Jan 15, 8:30am

Friday Jan 18, 7:00pm
(NOTE: On Fridays, you may wish to come one hour early and take Tai Chi with Dylan Klempner at 6pm.)

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 28, “Palm Forest”.

This Week’s Koan

Book of Serenity #45: “Four Phrases from the Engaku Sutra”

The Engaku [1] Sutra says:

“At all times, you do not raise the delusive mind.

When there are all kinds of illusory thoughts, you do not extinguish them.

Dwelling in the delusory state of mind, you do not add understanding.

Where there is no understanding, you do not distinguish the truth.”

[1]: “Engaku” means the perfect awakening of Buddha.

Try to be reasonable in the way you grow, and don’t ever think it is too late. It is never too late. Even if you are going to die tomorrow, keep yourself straight and clear and be a happy human being today. If you keep your situation happy day by day, you will eventually reach the greatest happiness of enlightenment.

-Lama Thubten Yeshe, The Bliss of Inner Fire

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Jan 8, 8:30am

Friday Jan 11, 7:00pm
(NOTE: On Fridays, you may wish to come one hour early and take Tai Chi with Dylan Klempner at 6pm.)

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 27, “All Dharmas are On Fire”.

This Week’s Koan

Blue Cliff Record #94, Book of Serenity #88: “Non-Seeing in the Ryogon Sutra”

The Ryogon Sutra says,

“When I don’t see, why do you not see what I do not see? If you [argue that you] see what I do not see, that is of course not what I do not see. If you do not see what I do not see, then it is quite natural that it is not a thing. Why is it not your self?”

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.

-Rumi

Practice Meetings

Friday Jan 4, 7:00pm
(NOTE: On Fridays, you may wish to come one hour early and take Tai Chi with Dylan Klempner at 6pm.)

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 26, “Water Rises, Too”.

This Week’s Koan

Blue Cliff Record #94, Book of Serenity #88: “Non-Seeing in the Ryogon Sutra”

The Ryogon Sutra says,

“When I don’t see, why do you not see what I do not see? If you [argue that you] see what I do not see, that is of course not what I do not see. If you do not see what I do not see, then it is quite natural that it is not a thing. Why is it not your self?”

You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

-Jesus of Nazareth, Mark 10:42-45 NLT

Practice Meetings

Friday Dec 28, 7:00pm
(NOTE: On Fridays, you may wish to come one hour early and take Tai Chi with Dylan Klempner at 6pm.)

Cancelled this week:

Tuesday Dec 25, 8:30am

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 25, “Music’s Lofty Peaks”.

This Week’s Koan

Gateless Gate #42: “A woman comes out of meditation”

The wisest Bodhisattva Manjusuri, who is supposed to be next in order to Shakyamuni Buddha, found that the Buddha’s gathering was adjourned and each was going back to his/her land. Observing one woman still deep in meditation near Shakyamuni, Manjusuri properly bowed and asked Shakyamuni Buddha:

“That woman has been able to reach that state of Enlightenment and why have I not?”

Shakyamuni replied,

“Bring her from the Samadhi and ask her yourself!”

Manjusuri went round the woman three times and snapped his fingers and yet she was undisturbed in meditation. So Manjusuri held her high up in his hand and brought her to the first of three meditative heavens (totally detached from any lust) and exhausted all his mystical powers in vain (to awaken her).

Observing this, Shakyamuni said,

“Even a hundred thousand Manjusris could not awaken her from Samadhi.  There resides Mo-myo (Avidya) Boddhisattva, the lowest of all, below this place past twelve hundred million lands. He alone can raise her from her deep meditation.”

No sooner had the Shakyamuni spoken than that Boddhisattva sprang up out of the earth, bowed and paid his homage to Shakyamuni. By Shakyamuni order, Mo-myo Boddhisattva snapped his fingers. Instantly the woman came out of meditation and stood up.

Mumon’s verse:

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.

-The Buddha

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Dec 18, 8:30am
Friday Dec 21, 7:00pm
(NOTE: On Fridays, you may wish to come one hour early and take Tai Chi with Dylan Klempner at 6pm.)

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 24, “Taking Refuge”.

This Week’s Koan

Blue Cliff Record #92, Book of Serenity #1:

“The World-Honored One Ascends to the Rostrum”

One day, the World-Honored One ascended to the rostrum. Manjusri struck the

table with the gavel and said,

“Contemplate clearly the Dharma of the Dharma-King! The Dharma of the Dharma-King is like this.”

Thereupon, the World-Honored One descended from the rostrum.

If we can reach the understanding of what we actually are, there is no better remedy for eliminating all suffering. This is the heart of all spiritual practices.

-Kalu Rinpoche, Luminous Mind

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Dec 11, 8:30am
Friday Dec 14, 7:00pm
(NOTE: On Fridays, you may wish to come one hour early and take Tai Chi with Dylan Klempner at 6pm.)

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 23, “Dharma Nectar”.

This Week’s Koan

Gateless Gate #32, Blue Cliff Record #65: “A Philosopher asks Buddha”

A philosopher asked Buddha:

“Without words, without the wordless, will you you tell me truth?”

The Buddha kept silence. The philosopher bowed and thanked the Buddha, saying:

“With your loving kindness I have cleared away my delusions and entered the true path.”

After the philosopher had gone, Ananda asked the Buddha what he had attained. The Buddha replied,

“A good horse runs even at the shadow of the whip.”

Mumon’s comment:

The Buddha is as near to you as your own heart.

– Ayya Khema, Being Nobody, Going Nowhere

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Dec 4, 8:30am
Friday Dec 7, 7:00pm
(NOTE: On Fridays, you may wish to come one hour early and take Tai Chi with Dylan Klempner at 6pm.)

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 22, “Turning the Wheel of Dharma”.

This Week’s Koan

Book of Serenity #4: “The World-Honored One Points to the Ground”

When the World-Honored One was walking with his assembly, he pointed to the ground with his hand and said,

“This place is good for building a temple.”

Indra took a stalk of grass and stuck it in the ground and said,

“The temple has been built.”

The World-Honored One smiled.

Treat others with the mind of giving, and practice doing works that have no reward.

– Master Baek, In Polishing The Diamond

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Nov 27, 8:30am
Friday Nov 30, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 21, “The Lotus Pond”.

This Week’s Koan

Gateless Gate #20: “The Enlightened Man”

Shogen asked:

“Why does the enlightened man not stand on his feet and explain himself [stand up for Zen]?”

And he also said:

“It is not necessary for speech to come from the tongue.”

Mumon’s Verse