A New Years tradition at Buddhist temples across Japan is the ringing of the Joyanokane, the temple bell from midnight. The bell is typically rung 108 times (sometimes by the temple priests, sometimes by invited guests or parishioners) to cleanse the listener of the 108 mortal desires (bonno) that, in traditional Buddhist thinking, are the…

HAPPY NEW MOMENT !! May this be a moment of peace for all. Here are some of my ‘Happy New Moment’ resolutions for 2008: — Lose 20 pounds (9 kilo), although there is no loss or gain — Finish the book I’ve been writing, although there is nothing to achieve — Improve my Japanese calligraphy,…

Before moving on in Genjo Koan, let’s look at the specific words that Master Dogen uses in these first sentences. They arise from the question that originally sent a young Dogen on his search for an answer. He wrote … “As I study both the exoteric and the esoteric schools of Buddhism, they maintain thathuman…

We have encountered several “simultaneously true” perspectives of Master Dogen which vanquish suffering (and in coming sections of Genjo Koan and Shobogenzo, we will encounter countless more)… … the separate, abiding ‘self‘ is, is not, absolutely is just-as-it-is, etc.etc. … By these simultaneous perspectives, and others, we find no grounds to resist in life. But…

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