difficult people, difficult emotions

A couple of days ago, Joseph wrote a great post about dealing with difficult people.  He’d remind himself, that, as annoying as someone may seem, nonetheless, they’re growing and evolving, and have already come a long way. They may have come a long way, but there are times when even that knowledge doesn’t make it [...]

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as we bow…

A thing becomes broader as it becomes lower. We are also like this. As we let go of “I” and “mine,” Our hearts become broader and more fragrant. Link: Littlebang: A Broader You

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Sunday Photo; in the mist

There were a few different photos I was going back and forth between over the past few days, but today, as I came to post, I decided to go with a photo to suit the weather. After digging through my files, I found this one, a misty morning in front of Donghwa Temple’s Dae Ung [...]

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difficult people

At Saturday Sangha, quite some time ago now, the topic came up of dealing with difficult people. Chong Go Sunim related to us what he’d once heard Daehaeng Kun Sunim say in reference to a difficult individual, “If you think they’re difficult now, you should have seen them in their past life!” Although it sprung [...]

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108 bows

In the period leading up to Tuesday’s Bek Jung remembrance ceremony, many people in the Bangkok Seonwon took part in a special 15-day bowing practice. Of course, for some, performing 108 bows each day is part of their normal spiritual routine, but during those two weeks many more also joined in and also meet together to practice [...]

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Four Mountains

[I posted this on my personal blog a bit over a year ago, but I thought it relates, in a sense, to Chong Go Sunim's post on Bek-jung. In this teaching, the Buddha makes a very strong case for practicing.] ओं मणिपद्मे हूं ooooIn a conversation I was having with my friend, Joe, we started [...]

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The Day of the Dead – Ullambana, or Bek-jung

Today is Bek-jung here in Korea, with the ceremonies set to start in 30 minutes. It’s the day for remembering those who have passed away, and for practicing on their behalf. In Sanskrit it’s called Ullambana, and is based upon a sutra of the same name. The premise is that we and the deceased are [...]

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authority and transmission

People familiar with Buddhism in the West, particularly Zen, have often heard of Dharma transmission. In some schools this is a certificate and a formal ceremony stating that you’re now the Dharma heir of so-and-so. It’s described as a mind-to-mind transmission that has continued uninterrupted from Sakyamuni Buddha himself, and only someone who has received this [...]

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Sunday Photo; BongEunSa Mireuk

Probably the most common cliché you’ll read in any travel guide about Seoul is that it’s a city of contrasts, a city of old and new. One of the spots where this is most apparent is up the small hill behind Bongeunsa, just behind the standing Mireuk Buddha. (click here to continue reading…)

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In meeting light, it becomes light

Here’s an interesting poem about practice Let go of everything to this great Emptiness, burning, burning, burning, like a vast, black sun, burning away the bent, twisted parts of ourselves. In truth though, nothing is burnt away, nothing comes or goes All of those bent, twisted lumps of agony, in touching light, become light. Like [...]

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