By Clarence Sensei For the last two weeks, I’ve tried to think of a topic for my Dharma glimpse, only to come up empty at every turn. Until Tuesday morning that is. I spent all that time looking, and then it just hit me. Quite literally in fact. I was on my way to…
Starling
By Marilyn Chiyo I will confess to you that I have a history of difficulty holding my hands together in gassho. To gassho, by putting the palms of both hands together in front of one’s heart, is the highest form of respect symbolizing Oneness. For me, the gesture never felt authentic, like I was…
An Incense Offering
Dharma Glimpse – Rob Kanyo Sensei An incense offering is a very simple thing. It’s a very simple procedure. Approach the incense burner. As you stand a few steps in front of it, bow. Step forward. Take a pinch of granulated incense in your right hand and gently sprinkle it across the smouldering charcoal….
Cloud
by Andy Gyoyo Sensei My mother is an artist and sees the world through her unique perspective. She looks at seemingly disparate patterns and challenges us to see what she sees… “See that cloud? What do you see?” Quite frankly, I never see what she sees and often I see no pattern at all so…
This man has not offended me.
Roberto Keiyo I have been reading about the violence in Myanmar and it makes me sad that Buddhist monks should be committing acts of murder and arson, truly we are witnesses to the decline of the Buddhist Dharma, and I hope that there will be peace there and that monks can somehow go back…
Everything connects us to other things
Noah Ma-yo Sensei I’ve been developing a daily routine with my kids as I strive to teach them mindfulness and Buddhist principles. In the past several weeks we’ve been focusing on meditation and learning to sit quietly before going to bed. My 3-year-old can now sit for 60 seconds at a time and she’s so…
Sacred Space
by Shirleen Soyo What makes a space sacred? Religious use? Blessings? Dedication? Perhaps it’s just a flip of a mind switch. The words about sacred space in Chögyam Trungpa’s Shambala this week spoke to me. I thought, “What if every space was sacred? Home? Everywhere would be filled with peace, unconditional love, and fun. Causes and conditions this past week allowed…
Dharma Rain
by Mark Kayo At my job, rain halts our work and creates a welcomed break. We all congregate in a maintenance building until it passes, or in cases where it looks like it will stick around for a while, we are sent home. Last week, while sitting at work watching the rain fall, I…
Offering to the Buddhas
Christopher Kakuyo Sensei In his commentary of the Tan Butsu Ge or the Song of the Buddha; a section from the Larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra, Gyomay Sensei writes, “ Ku Yo, of offering is a very important virtue in the Buddha’s Way…Ku Yo is done in relation to someone who is more worthy than oneself…to do Ku…
Gratitude
by Seiyo Thomas Sensei Gratitude has always been a shortcoming of mine. Recently, however, this has begun to change slowly. With this in mind, I have started to have thoughts of things that I need to be grateful for as I travel on my current path. Shakyamuni Buddha tells a story of how lucky one…
A Bright Dawn 