Tag: meditation
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Omoiyari: The Quiet Kindness
By Kaz What does it really mean to care for others?In Japan, we call it 思いやり (omoiyari)—quiet kindness. From childhood, we’re encouraged to notice what others might need, even before anything is said, and to offer help quietly and sincerely. Over time, this becomes second nature and shapes how we move through the world. Omoiyari…
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Empty is a Fuel: Finding Clarity in Stillness
By Jing S I sat quietly in the Hakone Gardens today, watching as sunlight filtered through the Japanese maples. It was there, surrounded by carefully placed stones and the gentle ripple of koi ponds, that I reflected on my journey with emptiness. For the longest time, I misunderstood emptiness. When I felt empty inside, I…
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Focusing the Mind: Lessons from a Journey
By Leo When I first started this journey back in October, I thought it would be simple. The instructions seemed straightforward: sit with proper posture, breathe deeply, and focus on the present moment. Easy, right? But as I quickly learned, simplicity doesn’t always mean ease. At first, even the physical aspect was a challenge. Sitting…
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Finding My Center: Meditation’s Quiet Impact on My Life
By DongminToday I would like to share the Zendo mediation impacts to me lately: -Changes I’ve noticed in my life since beginning regular practice five months ago. -How meditation connects to my childhood memories Wisdom from my Grandmother My grandmother, now 96 years old and still remarkably healthy, has practiced a home-style form of Buddhism…
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Building the Habit of Mindfulness Through Buddhism
By Chris Years ago, I picked up a book called “Buddhism Plain and Simple” by Steve Hagen. It had a positive testimonial on the cover from Robert Pirsig, who wrote “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.” That was one of the reasons I was so excited about it. I hadn’t picked up that book…
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Unison of Body and Mind
By Peter Today, I am going to share my experience of how meditation can bring about the unison of body and mind. I started practicing meditation in 2021 because I hoped it would help ease my back pain. After three years of practice, I have started to notice that meditation is beneficial for both my body and…
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Finding Freedom in Emptiness: A Glimpse into Bodhidharma’s Wisdom
By Ann Ann shared a talk by Genjo Roshi of Chobo-Ji. In his podcast, he shared a teaching from the first case of the Hekigan Roku, exploring the encounter between Emperor Wu and Bodhidharma. This timeless exchange offers profound insights into the heart of Zen practice. Roshi begins by setting the scene, it’s very famous…
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The Importance of Breathing Out
Shared by Stefan I wanted to share with the community some aspects and observations of my journey in Zazen meditation over the past year or so. A major challenge for me has been managing posture: while I could occasionally feel what seemed right, my mind and my body were apparently not on the same page…
Hakone Zendo 