Category: Weekly Sharing
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Growth and Gratitude: Finding Zen in the Uphill Climb
As a member of Hakone Zendo, I explore the intersection of the growth mindset and Zazen-kai practice. In this post, I share how the stillness and breath-counting techniques learned in the zendo helped me overcome psychological barriers in bicycling and master presence in photography. By shifting from ‘I can’t’ to ‘not yet,’ I demonstrate how…
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The 30 Seats
By Claudia L I’ve been coming here for almost a year now. I have heard many of the stories you have all shared, and I can say that, just like many of you, I tried meditation because I needed something to calm my mind. I was having a lot of thoughts; it felt like a…
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The Sacred Act of Being Bored
By Ann (The following is a synopsis of the actual article found on the Substack Link to the original article) I think we are all lucky to be here together this morning. I’ve been reflecting on a challenge we often face on the cushion—one we don’t talk about enough: boredom. I recently came across a…
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What Is Dog?
By Lakshmi I don’t know if any of you have heard of a dog named Bunny—the one who learnedmore than a hundred words by pressing buttons.After learning all that vocabulary, Bunny started asking, “What is dog?” and later, “Whydog?” People started to feel that the dog was having existential angst. But I wondered if dogseven…
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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…
Hakone Zendo 