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I am who I am
By Peter The Buddhist concept of “no‑self” does not imply non‑existence or illusion. Instead, It emphasizes impermanence. Impermanence is not mystical and it is not abstract. It is something we can observe directly in our daily life. This teaching is grounded in causality: all phenomena arise from causes and conditions, and when these conditions change,…
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Am I Actually Living, or Am I Just Busy?
By Chloe In my professional world of AI and technology, everything is about optimization—speed, scale, accuracy, cost, and reaching the next milestone. We build systems that learn, rank, predict, and automate. We watch dashboards the way pilots watch instruments. And without noticing, we start living the same way: always monitoring, always adjusting, always looking forward.…
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Seeing the Ordinary: Our First Zazen-kai of 2026
By Ann Where is the ordinary? The extraordinary? Can they be here simultaneously, but only one seen? A few minutes ago this space where we are now seated, was empty…no chairs, no students, no bells. It was ordinarily beautiful and then it was made into the extraordinary….by and with chairs, students, sound of bells. But…
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Sugar and Salt: My Four Days at Hosen-ji
By KazIt was a privilege to sit with all of you this morning for our final session of the year. As we look back on our time together at Hakone Zendo, I wanted to share a personal experience that has deeply shifted my perspective on our practice. Two weeks ago, before a business trip, I…
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The Non-Discriminatory “Merry”
By Ann I’m wearing my seasonal shirt today. It’s pink, and it has the word MERRY written across it. A number of people have commented on it, and I always tell them the same thing: it’s a non-discriminatory shirt. You can be Merry Christmas, you can be Merry New Year, or you can be Merry…
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Reflections on Why Buddhism Is True by Robert Wright
By Michael I recently finished a book by Robert Wright entitled Why Buddhism Is True… a very daring title, I thought. The book has been out for a few years and was a New York Times bestseller, but I only encountered it recently. What I found most interesting is how Wright focuses on the philosophical side…
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