Dear Friends, This summer, as many of you may already know, our dear friend and the former prior of the Portland Buddhist Priory passed away in her room at Shasta Abbey in the care of hospice and the monks; she … Continue reading →
(Follow this link to see the September 2021 Priory Newsletter where this was originally published.) The next section, the Third of the four practices, is as follows (from the Red Pine translation): Third, seeking nothing. People of this world are … Continue reading →
(Follow this link to see the July 2021 Priory Newsletter where this was originally published.) The other day, I happened to watch a comedy sketch in a YouTube video that had some pointed things to say about the intoxicating quality … Continue reading →
(Follow this link to see the June 2021 Priory Newsletter where this was published.) The next section, the second of the four practices, begins with (from the Red Pine translation): “Second, adapting to conditions. As mortals, we’re ruled by conditions, … Continue reading →
(Follow this link to see the May 2021 Priory Newsletter where this was published.) Bodhidharma’s “Outline of Practice” starts by saying that we can either enter the Dharma by “reason” or “practice.” Last time I talked mostly about the entry … Continue reading →
(Follow this link to see the April 2021 Priory Newsletter where this was published.) One of my favorite short pieces of Zen Buddhist Teaching is Bodhidharma’s Outline of Practice. In his opening comment to his translation of this work, D.T. … Continue reading →
(Follow this link to see the March 2021 Priory Newsletter where this was published.) Recently I found myself laughing at the thought that, again, it was just not going to be how I wanted it. I can’t even remember what … Continue reading →
(Follow this link to see the February 2021 Priory Newsletter where this was published.) It is said the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara was first a fully enlightened Buddha (called the Tathagata of the Brightness of the Right Dharma); when she saw that … Continue reading →
(Follow this link to see the January 2021 Priory Newsletter where this was published.) (The other day a Dharma friend mentioned that he found that the most difficult things for him to look at were often the most important things … Continue reading →
(Follow this link to see the October 2020 Priory Newsletter where this was originally published.) My teacher used to say that Buddhism is for human beings; it is a religion, or spiritual practice, for regular people. Sometimes though, I have … Continue reading →
