May all beings everywhere, in this galaxy and beyond,find peace within ourselves, with others, and with Mother Earth.May we rediscover health, joy, naturalness, and freedom.May those in dark places know the emptiness of suffering.May the demonic forces behind our enemies be extinguished byAvalokiteshvara’s inexhaustible wisdom. May Mañjuśrī’s flaming swordcut out the infection in our hearts […]
Jon Fujita
Godzilla of Peace
This morning on the toilet I daydreamed about the Godzilla of Peace. He comes out of the ocean fifty-five stories tall, blue and fluffy with a party hat and sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt. At first the city people are afraid of the deep rumbling he makes as he goes along. But he seems nice, […]
Two Masters on the Great Expanse (A Collage Poem)
Why make so much of fragmentary blue1 What we call ‘mind’ is not something that exists elsewhere;2 in here and there a bird, or butterfly,1 so without being swept away and following wherever it leads,2 or flower, or wearing-stone, or open eye,1 look directly into its face, its very own essence—2 when heaven presents in sheets the solid hue?1 at that […]
A Taizé Service
Two weeks ago I had an opportunity to attend a Christian Taizé service at night in a church close to where I’m living. As a Buddhist, I enjoy jumping into new environments to learn about the religious practices of others. In the course of my inter-religious exploration I encounter devotion that strikes a chord, or […]
Dear Zhuangzi
Dear Zhuangzi, last night I dreamtwe were stargazing on a cloud of Dao.You were the butterfly. I was the human.Having woken up I was chased by a red-eyed boarthrough woods at night to a moonlit lake.I made my escape swimming vigorously and found reston the opposite shore. Taking time to remember,a dark cloud of defilement […]
Boudhanath
O dear Shakyamuni Buddha, dear Tathagata, dear Bhagavan,seeing the truth of your Disenchantmentas solid and eminent as Boudhanath over Kathmandu,pointing at a regal constellation likea beggar child who believes it is close,I have yet to realize this Transcendence:someone’s lover lies in a stranger’s arms. O Siddhartha, if you strolled with me now,I would point out […]
Andromeda / Peace in Me
The number of stars contained in the Andromeda Galaxy is estimated at one trillion.The expense of spirit in a waste of shame / Is lust in action.The galaxy is inclined an estimated 77° relative to Earth.All this the world well knows / To shun the heaven that leads [wo]men to this hell.The rotational velocity has […]
The Problem with Kindness
There is a gulf between the secular and the religious parts of our lives. In sacred settings we talk about kindness as something valuable and orthodox. At the office, at home, in our neighborhood, in our relationships, and in our friendships, we challenge its value in daily life. I’ve found myself with this bifurcated attitude, […]
A World-Encompassing Meditation
There are those who enjoy sufficiency, comfort, security, health, a light heart, companionship, and freedom of opportunity. And there are those who are drowning in suffering, alone, disconnected. The Awakened exist in a state of peace with themselves, with their environment, and with others. They have defeated defilement and express universal goodwill: May all beings […]
The Auspiciousness of Right Now
We’re all blessed to live in an age of the Dharma. There is an ocean of helpful video, audio, and print resources that expound Buddhist beliefs and practice, and it has never been easier to engage with skilled teachers from all traditions, even in parts of the world far from Buddhist homelands. The canons of […]