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
Sensei Alex Kakuyo
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 […]
The Buddhist Practice of Right Intention
Right Intention is the second tenet of the Noble 8-Fold Path. It represents the strong resolve that practitioners develop to end suffering for themselves and others when they walk the Buddhist path. On the surface, this seems like a no-brainer. No one wants to suffer, and everyone hopes for a peaceful life. So, why is […]
Zen and the Art of Kindness
The second noble truth states that suffering is caused by desire. Generally this is understood to mean that the things we want cause us suffering either by not living up to our expectations or by causing us pain when they inevitably go away. This is an accurate assessment, and a good first step in understanding the […]
Straight-Edge Buddhism
The straight-edge movement started as part of the Hardcore Punk music scene in the early 80’s. At that time, drugs and alcohol were thought by many to be ruining the scene, and punks began to abstain from intoxicants in response. In fact, some adherents went so far as to abstain from promiscuous sex and eating […]
MPR Raccoon and the Bodhisattva Way
On June 18th a raccoon in Minnesota climbed up the side of a building and captured a nation’s heart. Observers believe that she originally went up there to steal eggs from bird nests, but got stuck in the process. Well-meaning maintenance workers tried to help her by building a make-shift ladder for her to climb […]
Give ’til It Hurts
Generosity doesn’t come easily to me. In fact, one of the hard truths that I’ve learned as a result of Buddhist practice is that there’s a lot of selfishness inside of me. I’m not sure why that is. Maybe it’s the result of being the oldest of 5 kids; constantly forced to share my possessions growing […]