Category: zen
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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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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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Waking Up to Every Breath
By Taylor Happy Thanksgiving. I’m Taylor, and recently I volunteered to speak at our meditation group. If I’m honest, the main reason I volunteer is that I can’t stand that awkward moment when we’re all standing in a circle and no one steps forward. I just raise my hand so we can all move on.…
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Flowing Water Never Rots: Rediscovering the Beginner’s Mind
By Kaz “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s, there are few.” This famous saying by Suzuki Roshi of the San Francisco Zen Center captures the true essence of maintaining a “Beginner’s Mind.” It sounds simple, but after practicing Zazen at this Zendo for almost 15 years—sitting nearly every Sunday—I’ve…
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From “Begin to Sit and Breathe” to ‘Try Something New’
By Dongmin It’s hard to believe, but it’s been an entire year since I started coming here to meditate every Sunday morning. Today I would like to share some reflections, some observations, and something new that I start trying. When I first came to practice last year, I was desperately looking for something that could…
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Paying It Forward – An Act of Kindness
By Cathy Fred and I started meditating here pretty recently. I have appreciated and learned from the sharing by many of you. Some of the shares have really resonated, and remind me to find my center, practice compassion, and develop clarity about the truly important things in life. Last month, Chloe talked about her learning…
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