Descent from Heaven. From rigpawiki.org Mayadevi gave birth to the prince Siddhartha Gautama in 563 BCE (other possible dates are 560 BCE, 564 BCE, or 523 BCE). The Vedic gods Indra and Brahma were witnesses to the birth. The presence of these two major gods from the Brahminical pantheon serves as evidence that it was […]
Month: October 2018
Squawking about climate change
When I was in Australia recently, a good friend—someone I know to be very well informed as well as very generous—accused me of “squawking” about climate change, and of being one of those people who go around trying to frighten people by talking about a coming apocalypse, while ignoring the fact that as much is […]
Blue Mountain Jewel
Plunged intothe crevasses of alove untrammeled,you are my BlueMountain jewel,my wind-scourgedbase selected bythe elements. Burnished with slow infrared heat, youroriginal grace is liketiny iron grommetsholding my turbulence. George Cassidy Payne is a poet from Rochester, NY. His work has been included in such publications as the Hazmat Review, Moria Poetry Journal, Chronogram Journal, Ampersand Literary Review, […]
Find Your Tree
By George Cassidy Payne Find your treeand everythingZen made of sky.For the worldhas gone wrong.The gamma raysare off. The heartis anachronisticand losing powereach day. Old andin the way, waitingfor the morning todeclare the peculiarcondition of a tree-that boundary intime and space, thatwave like disturbance. George Cassidy Payne is a poet from Rochester, NY. His work has […]
Understanding Yoga with Ami Ganatra
On 7 October, a workshop titled “Understanding Yoga: The holistic health science” was conducted at The University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) Graduate House (GH). Ami Ganatra, who has been practicing yoga for over a decade, conducted the workshop with a presentation that covered yoga philosophy, scientific aspects of yoga, practices, and the impact of those […]
The Way of Zen
The Way of Zen is to climb the flattest place on earth. To become a geologic paradox. To crack into the earth, like a creative carving of erosion. The way of Zen is when fire meets ice, like a thundering waterfall made quiet by the sacred nature of rocks. This poem was also published in The […]
Dharma Dispatch, 1-12 October 2018: A Great Rinpoche’s Passing, Amazing Calligraphic Sutra, and Karmapa Resolution
Good morning! The respected Dzogchen master and founder of the Merigar Community, Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, has passed away at the age of 79. He breathed his last breath on the evening of 27 September at his residence, Gadeling, at Merigar West Buddhist Center, Italy. Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche was one of the pioneering Buddhist masters […]
Master Huijing’s Dharma Teaching on the Infinite Life Sutra
The Infinite Life Sutra mainly reveals the cause and effect of Amitabha’s deliverance of sentient beings, and emphasizes the merits and virtues of exclusive recitation of Amitabha’s Name. The merits and virtues of exclusive recitation of Amitabha’s Name are vast. Whether you are a monastic or householder, a practitioner or not, you can exclusively recite […]
Gathering Nectar
In my life as a Buddhist practitioner, I have gone from early days with the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (now Triratna) to primarily Geluk Tibetan teachings, to Vipassana, to a bit of a mix of a few parts Zen and a few parts Theravāda. I sometimes tell people about this and their expression […]
No Situation Can Defeat Amitabha-Reciters
Master Jingzong; English translation by Foying, edited by Jingxin There is no question, however tough, that can stump an Amitabha reciter. He may not find the right words for a perfect answer or may even run out of ammunition to defend his case. But he remains resolute. This is because he is blessed by the amazing […]