…holds within itself a great potential. Perhaps we need to be generous and forgive our self or some other for a misguided act that left doubt and sadness in its wake. Perhaps we have been building up fortitude for some necessary step in our training. Perhaps we know we need to keep the Precepts more deeply. Perhaps after all, we simply long to surrender our life completely to the Eternal and surrender our strivings into a deeper trust. Nothing is w…
…a, the similarity of the Sanskrit letter to the Chinese character for heart-mind was noted, and the meaning of this character, (i.e. essence, spirit, heart, physical and spiritual, as well as mind and Mind) blended into the meaning of the Sanskrit letter. Our tradition holds the whole meaning of the Sanskrit letter and Chinese character together indistinguishably. Thus we have the “three circles of the Soto Lineage” as well as the three circles ma…
…eck Kim Seng, the Chinese Buddhist Master who ordained Reverend Master Jiyu-Kennett in Malaysia; Keizan Jokin, who was instrumental in making Soto Zen accessible to the people of Japan; Eihei Dogen, who brought the practice of Soto Zen from China to Japan; Bodhidharma, who brought the teachings of the Zen tradition from India to China; and, of course, it also includes the Buddha himself. Here are some links to biographical sketches of some of thes…
…cing an unseen, almighty god over man, and making him subservient to such a belief, Shakyamuni Buddha raised the worth of mankind. Selfless service and the equality of all men and women are the corner-stones of His teaching. Reprinted and adapted with permission from Zen Is Eternal Life, by Reverend Master Jiyu-Kennett. Shasta Abbey Press, 1999. Print, Email, Create a PDF…