Devotion

Portland Buddhist Priory Posted on by

(To view the December 2018 newsletter where this was first published click here.)

These persimmons, given recently by a friend, reminded me of a painting called Six Persimmons by the monk, Muqi Fachang or Mu Ch’i Fa-Ch’ang.to a nice pudding which we enjoyed for Thanksgiving

These days, for those of us new to Buddhism, our approach to the Dharma is often through our mental activity: we read and think about the Dharma and we like the ideas; we meditate with all that that entails of mental discipline; we look at our lives through the lens of the precepts etc. And this is excellent. But, there is another dimension Continue reading →

Help?

Portland Buddhist Priory Posted on by

(To view the November 2018 newsletter where this was first published click here.)

There is a story I read once about a man who lived during the time of the Buddha. This man wanted to become a monk so he went to one of the Buddha’s monastic disciples and asked for ordination. The disciple thought deeply about the matter and told him: “I have looked into 100 or so of your past lives and I haven’t been able to see anything that you have done to create the merit to become a monk, so I am unable to ordain you.” Disappointed, the man went away and Continue reading →

Bringing Our Hands Together

Portland Buddhist Priory Posted on by

(To view the October 2018 newsletter where this was first published click here.)

Today, when I was at Home Depot, I came around a corner and looked up to see a smiling person bringing their hands together with a gesture of prayer, and bowing to me. As a reflex, I automatically put my hands together and bowed to her and returned her smile. This is one of a string of similar recent incidents around town with people who I have never met before and they always cheer me up. I once read that as a child in Thailand, the first thing you are taught, when going to a temple, is to make gassho, that gesture of bringing the hands together in prayer. The gassho is a sort of universal gesture of respect and appreciation that Buddhists use throughout the world, so I thought I might talk a little about what it means.

The gassho is one of what in Sanskrit are called Continue reading →