Haiku series from Sensei Alex Kakuyo
Sensei Alex Kakuyo
Garden Haikus
Haiku #1 Plant the seeds in dirtWait calmly for them to growWhat if they do not Haiku #2 Plant fruit trees for foodTheir roots cut through the soilTheir fruit tastes like dirt Haiku #3 Water the gardenThe plants are hot and thirsty I am thirsty too Support Our Dharma Work
Snow in the Spring Time
Haiku # 1 Snow falls from the skyThe calendar says it’s SpringThe snow does not care Haiku #2 Planning my gardenPrepping the soil to plant seedsSnow ruins my pans Haiku #3 Winter snow is funI enjoy it every yearSpring snow… not so much Support Our Dharma Work
Fire Haiku
1. Light a bonfireQuickly, write down all my sinsToss them in the flames 2. Do not get too closeFire burns through flesh and boneBut stay close enough 3. Winter is so coldThe snow gets deeper each dayA fire would be nice Support Our Dharma Work
Rain Haiku
Haiku #1 Rain falls from the skyDies screaming on the windowListen to the sound Haiku #2 Rain falls from the skyDies screaming on the windowGives the grass a drink Haiku #3 Rain falls from the skyDies screaming on the windowIt’s a life well-lived Support Our Dharma Work
Zen and the Art of Dying
I remember when the thought of dying became real to me. I was 24 years old, serving a tour of duty in Iraq with the U.S. Marines. It was my squad’s turn to act as the quick reaction force (QRF) for our base. QRF is like the 911 of a forward-deployed unit. They’re on standby 24/7, […]
Reflections on Greta Thunberg and Climate Change
I’ve been an environmentalist for as I can remember. I was 9 years old scolding my parents for not turning off all the lights in the house to save electricity. When I was 12, I used to walk the railroad tracks near my house; picking up scrap metal that fell from the trains, and taking […]
The Five Hindrances
As human beings, we sometimes falter when we walk the Buddhist path. We have the best of intentions; hoping against hope to end suffering for ourselves and other sentient beings. But inevitably, obstacles arise that make it difficult for us to walk the path. This is especially true when it comes to the practice of Right Effort. […]
The Problem with Original Enlightenment
Hongaku is a Japanese word that translates to “original enlightenment”. This teaching, which states that all people, animals, and inanimate objects are already enlightened originated in medieval China, and first appears in the Avatamsaka (Flower Garland) Sutra. The teaching became popular in Japan during the Kamakura period (1185-1333) appearing in the Platform Sutra of Huineng […]