Maria Kannon Zen Center

Editor’s Note: This is the second out of three articles on The Three Refuges. Read the Buddha Refuge (part one) and Dharma Refuge (part two). Buddham saranam gacchami Dhammam saranam gacchami Sangham saranam gacchami Part III—The Sangha as Refuge We continue unpacking the three refuges, called the three treasures in the Buddhist tradition. In the last two talks, we looked at the Buddha, the first treasure, and the Dharma, the second, and noted how these two point us to th

Editor’s Note: This is the first out of three articles on The Three Refuges. Read the Dharma Refuge (part two) and Sangha Refuge (part three) here. Buddham saranam gacchami Dhammam saranam gacchami Sangham saranam gacchami Part I–The Buddha Refuge My task in the next three talks is to articulate what happens when we chant the three refuges, that we may be able to realize this and be able to embody it in our being. Incidentally, we also chant the four vows of the bodhisattva

Editor’s Note: This is the second out of three articles on The Three Refuges. Read the Buddha Refuge (part one) and Sangha Refuge (part three). Buddham saranam gacchami Dhammam saranam gacchami Sangham saranam gacchami Part II—The Dharma Refuge We are in the process of elucidating the three refuges which we just chanted. Our intent is not just to give an intellectual explanation, but to allow an unfolding of what actually happens as we chant those verses with our whole body

Editor’s Note: This is part of a series of articles on The Ten Ox-Herding Pictures. Oxherding pictures by Jim Crump. View all the available articles of the series here. “The Ten Oxherding Pictures” is a set of ten calligraphic works that portray the different stages in the journey to the realization of the truth, or the realization of the true self. I will first give a general introduction, summarizing each of the ten so that we have a broad picture. We look at the ten oxherd

In this century, there has been a growth of Eastern religions in this country. Although Taoism and Hinduism have found adherents, the greatest growth can be found among the various varieties of Buddhism. So many people have entered Buddhism in the United States that Rick Fields, author of a well received history of Buddhism in America, calls the United States “one of the most vital Buddhist countries in the world” (Fields, 358). Some Buddhists are immigrants from Buddhist cou

“I am not religious, but I`m spiritual”. This is a commonly heard statement, especially among younger people, many of whom are disaffected with organized religion, but seek some form of secular spirituality. For many Westerners who would describe themselves in the above way, the teaching of Buddhism holds great attraction. Different from the Abrahamic religions, Buddhism is not based on a revelation by God, but takes its starting point from the enlightenment experience of