Author: zenzdragon
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SEWANEE SANGHA
For the past couple of months I have been practicing with the Sewanee Sangha, a student-led sitting group at the University of the South. Sam Kearley leads the group with great commitment, and the university has been very supportive, dedicating space in the Meditation Chapel of the beautiful All Saints’ Chapel. We sit for only…
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Sentimental Compassion and Other Demons
So, today I want to talk about demons (or yokai, in Japanese). You might have heard me refer to the threshold to the dojo as the demon-tripper. This is a traditional way of describing the purpose of the raised piece of wood that separates the dojo from the rest of the temple. Of course, we…
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Karma and Family Heirlooms
In pre-industrial America, it was common for family heirlooms to be passed down from one generation to another. A woman might wear her mother’s wedding dress to get married or a father might give his prized car to his son as a graduation present. Other times, the heirloom might be less descript; a bookcase that…
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Living with Sadness
Today, I woke up feeling sad. All of my basic needs are met. I have a pantry full of food and a warm, safe place to sleep at night. Put simply, my life is going well by most objective standards. I have (almost) nothing to complain about. So, why am I sad? I don’t…
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What Is Living Awareness? | Awaken the Living Awareness Within ∞ ΛWΛRΞNΞSS ∞
~ ღ ~ Living Awareness ~ ((( ॐ ))) ~ The Fountain of Youth ~ ღ ~ ~ ∞ ~ ~ ॐ ~ Awaken to ~ ॐ ~ • Living Awareness • ~ ∞ ~ And now, we can delve deeper into Living Awareness itself. As we learned from the previous chapter, Living Awareness is…
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7 Levels of Living Awareness | Awaken the Living Awareness Within ∞ ΛWΛRΞNΞSS ∞
~ ღ ~ Living Awareness ~ ((( ॐ ))) ~ The Heart of Living Life ~ ღ ~ ~ ∞ ~ Self-Actualization ~ ∞ ~ This chapter is pretty much self-explanatory as it highlights the deeper levels of Living Awareness. You see, presence itself is our true nature, and the more we become aware of…
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SEWANEE ZEN OPENS APRIL 2, 2023
Sewanee Zen will open for the first time on April 2, 2023, with an Introduction to Zen Practice at the new Stone Nest Dojo at 3818 Sherwood Road in Sewanee, Tennessee. The three-hour workshop will provide the basics of Zen practice: zazen (sitting concentration), kinhin (walking concentration), and dojo etiquette. Background on Zen Buddhism and…
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DECIDE!
A talk given at the sesshin, 13 May 2023, New Orleans Zen Temple, by Richard Reishin Collins, Abbot Sometimes we have to be a sangha of one. We hear all the time about the Three Treasures: Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. These can be very abstract terms, however, so I always encourage you to nail those down…
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Sitting with Buddha and Fixing my House
Two years ago, I bought an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. I was tired of the noise and congestion of city life, and I wanted to be closer to nature. More than that, I wanted to use the skills I’d learned by apprenticing on organic farms across the country. I wanted to build…
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Do One Good Thing (Dharma Talk)
I discuss strategies for coping with suffering and the importance of focusing on positive actions that we can take in this present moment. If you enjoyed this Dharma talk, you’ll love my books!