(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 →
(Follow this link to see the September 2020 Priory Newsletter where this was originally published.) Great Master Dogen was a monk who, in his search for a deeper answer to his own spiritual question, traveled from Japan to China around 1225. … Continue reading →
(Follow this link to see the July 2020 Priory Newsletter where this was originally published.) One of my fellow monks, when talking with people of other faiths, will often describe our mediation as a prayer of listening. When we sit, … Continue reading →
(Follow this link to see the June 2020 Priory Newsletter where this was originally published.) Every now and then, Shasta Abbey will be the host for a yearly conference of western Buddhist monastics; at these conferences the community has the … Continue reading →
(Follow this link to see the May 2020 Priory Newsletter where this was originally published.) When I was a novice of maybe two years, there was a time when one of the senior monks was having a very difficult time … Continue reading →
(Follow this link to see the April 2020 Priory Newsletter where this was originally published.) Before I dive into the matter of transferring merit, I have a confession to make: I don’t seem to be able to escape the feeling, … Continue reading →
(Follow this link to see the February 2019 Priory Newsletter where this was originally published.) It is a pretty human thing to get distracted by what is down the road: won’t everything be better when I get that new … … Continue reading →
(Follow this link to see the January 2019 Priory Newsletter where this was originally published.) Refuge is a central principle in the practice of Buddhism and, from earliest times, to become a follower of the Buddha, to become a “Buddhist,” … Continue reading →
(Follow this link to see the December 2019 Priory Newsletter where this was originally published.) One of my esteemed teachers, Rev. Master Koten of the Lion’s Gate Priory in British Columbia, once shared an image of practice: practice (or maybe … Continue reading →
(Follow this link to see the November 2019 Priory Newsletter where this was originally published.) One day some time ago – I think I was 25 or so – I was contemplating going to the temple for a Wednesday evening … Continue reading →
