Category: Blog
Kyogen Carlson (This Dharma talk, transcribed by Jill Bukkai Washburn, was given in March, 1999.) Homage to the Buddha, Homage to the Dharma, Homage to the Sangha. As some of you know, at least those of you who are familiar with my talks, I can’t go too long without using either an animal story or… Read more »
Case 94 in the Book of Serenity tells of a time when Master Dongshan (Tozan Ryokai) was very ill. A monk came to him and asked, “Is there someone who does not get ill?” Donshan answered, “There is,” and the dialog goes on from there. Does this contradict the First Noble Truth? What’s going on… Read more »
We have good news on the geotechnical front – the pile of earth that has been sitting where the Sodo will be built – has done its job much better than expected. The idea was to put something much heavier than a building there, and “pre-squish” the ground until it is done squishing. The ground… Read more »
Jiko’s Pilgrimage Journal Entries from India Note: Center members Sallie Jiko Tisdale and Thomas Koshin Bruner have been in India from several weeks, visiting Buddhist sites, but also other placers of cultural and historical interest. *Jambudvipa, the ancient name for India used in Sutras. Jan. 9 in Varanasi: We walked to the northern end of… Read more »
On January 12, 2014, the Dharma Talk was “Taking Joy Seriously, or Can a Buddhist Have a Good Time?” In our practice we explicitly examine the causes of suffering as we study the Second Noble Truth. Dogen said that “To study Buddhism is to study the self.” Are we just a mass of suffering? How… Read more »
The property has been quiet during December, as the land becomes wetter and colder, resting for the winter. At a little over a year since we bought the property, the changes are apparent and dramatic. There is a road. There are piles of dirt and wood chips, along with silt fencing, where there were no… Read more »
As we start up again on our regular schedule, we sometimes find that we can look back at holiday excesses and have remorse, vowing to do differently. How can we take vows in a skillful way? Genko shares something of her own struggle with addictive behavior and how she is finding ways through it with… Read more »
New Lay Disciples On Saturday November 30, five sangha members took discipleship precepts, stepping up their commitment to practice and to the Dharma Rain sangha. Debra Gant and Suzanne Ragsdale became disciples of Gyokuko Carlson, with Deb receiving the name Keido Ryotan (Bright Hall, Noble Abyss), and Suzanne receiving the name Keido Shushin (Bright Hall, Jewel… Read more »
October, 2013 This summary describing the work of the temple’s three major decision-making bodies is published regularly. Each of the three major bodies of the temple mandala, the Board of Directors, the Dharma Council and the Mandala Council meets monthly and provides notes to be consolidated for a report to the general sangha. A governance… Read more »
For Buddhists all over the world, Sunday December 8th marks the annual celebration of Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment under the bodhi tree. For our community, it also marks the end of our weeklong Rohatsu retreat during which each of us take up the Buddha’s koan of the meaning of human suffering. Through his deep resolve to… Read more »
From our Still Point Archives, February 1996 – by Gyokuko Carlson I wanted to share with you this morning a phrase that I picked up earlier this month. A very small phrase: ‘A person of practice.’ It just hit my ear, and I wanted to bring it here, and give you some of my thoughts. Of course, as… Read more »
Sunday Dharma Talk – Alison Shin’ei Brown Shin’ei traces the lives of three enigmatic Zen Masters to explore the nature of freedom, dedication and authority. She also speaks to the imagination through the voice of her own life and practice. This talk was Sunday, December 1. Listen to this talk online.
Kyogen Carlson I realized the other day that Thanksgiving this year is also the 18th anniversary of my mother’s passing. It’s odd that I don’t recall that she died so close to Thanksgiving. The holiday had been five days before that year, and I have no memory of it at all. In looking for old… Read more »
In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, many of us plan meals, plan for preparing and eating food. Bukkai talked about how the simple repetitive aspects of our lives having to do with food can become serious spiritual practice. Listen to this talk, which was on Sunday, November 24.
Several planting events are coming up as part of Dharma Rain’s restoration of Siskiyou Square. We plan to plant almost 4,000 trees and shrubs in the next three months, as well as seed an acre with native grasses. Last Saturday, November 16, we planted orchard trees on the south slope with DharmaGarden parents and children. Tomorrow,… Read more »
What is it that we can trust and rely upon during our most difficult times in life? How does practice support us when we inevitably face challenges? This talk is about how the path of practice can be viewed as a process of cultivating increasing confidence and trust in our own Buddha Nature. Listen to… Read more »