In Mahayana Buddhism, the paramita of ethical conduct—known as Sila—is far more than a mere set of prohibitions. It is a dynamic, living practice that forms the ethical backbone of the bodhisattva path. Sila guides us toward a life of genuine compassion, integrity, and non-harming, serving as both a personal compass and a communal bridge to uplift the wellbeing of all sentient beings . At its core,  Sila  in the Mahayana tradition is not about rigidly following rules but abou

So, today I’m going to talk about the fourth Paramita, diligence or Virya in the Pali.  There are probably a number of synonyms including devotion, attentive care, or heedfulness.  When I started examining Virya I felt a little bit of a conundrum.   If you’re like me, you might look on diligence as a form of perseverance that is demanding of us psychologically and physically.  You know the old football coaches’ phrase – When the going gets tough the tough get going!  But, may

Sometimes I have writer’s block – like today.  Other times, when I’m preparing a dharma talk, I feel a little like professor Irwin Corey,...

So, today I want to talk about aging and our Zen practice.  Now, some of you are (at least in my opinion) younger, some of you are...

I have a tendency to worry about things – sometimes trivial and sometimes important (or at least I like to believe they’re important).  I...

So Much to Love, yet So Much Hate..........Thoughts from Jishin and others Holocaust Memorial Day was Jan. 27 just passed, but...

“When we sit in silence, we make contact with the reality of not knowing. This is the place where we have the opportunity to let go of...

The subject today is “The Power of Intention”. This was a subject suggested to me for discussion. I, of course, immediately thought of...

To start I want to recount a situation I had early on in my sitting practice, after a few short retreats I decided to go on a week-long...

Four other essentials of Zen are silence, discipline, ritual, and study. These elements give us a great structure to really ‘be’ and my...