Category: zen
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Reflections on the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch
By Chloe Recently I’ve been reading the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch (六祖坛经), a foundational text in Chan (Zen) Buddhism. It shares the life and teachings of Huineng (慧能), who began as an illiterate woodcutter in southern China and went on to become one of the most important Zen masters in history. He taught…
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The Mystery of My Blurry Vision
By Chris Has anybody ever left here, driving home, and noticed that your vision was a little blurry, or you couldn’t focus quite as well? I have found that on many occasions when I’m driving home, it takes a while for me to get my clarity of vision back. I always just chalked it up…
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I’m Learning to Be a Shambhala Warrior
By Rona Lately in my practice, I’ve been feeling a deep pain—sorrow, anger, the heaviness of division in our world. It stirred despair in me, and even my own anger. I know I need to work with these feelings, to take care of them, because they’re not the energies I want to send into the…
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Catharsis and Reality
By Michael Good morning, everybody. I’m going to be sharing something very personal today that impacts some stuff that we’ve been studying in the book club and some overall Buddhist doctrine and philosophy. A little bit of a background: about a year and a half ago, I had a very near-fatal bike crash. I had…
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You are perfect as you are…..and you have more work to do
By Ann Having just experienced my familiar difficulty with technology, I am wondering about the accuracy of what I want to talk about with you today… the belief that each of us is perfect, in this second, in the experience of this moment. As I tangle with the headset, placing the mic in my ear,…
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Hakone History
By Aaron Hakone is such a special place. I wanted to share a bit about the history that I learned from the Hakone website. This place began in 1915, when Isabel and Oliver Stine, philanthropists from San Francisco, were inspired by the Japanese gardens at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Isabel fell in love with their…
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Sitting With What Is: A Short Reflection on Zazen
By Taylor We’ve been reading a book for the Hakone book club called “The Eightfold Path”. The book opens with a story about a woman who’s had a tough life and starts going to zazen, looking for a solution to her pain. In her first one-on-one meeting — where she expects wisdom that will let…
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Journey to Peace & Joy
By Peter We may have various reasons for meditating, but our primary goal is often to find relief from the daily stress and dissatisfaction we experience. In 2020, I was struck by a severe sciatica attack and was desperate for relief. That’s when I decided to give meditation a try. I began by self-learning the…
Hakone Zendo 