Category: dharma talks

  • ASPIRATION FOR THE NEW YEAR

    I will try to be grateful for this moment, aspiring to see the world as-it-is, not as-I-want-it-to-be, so that I may alleviate suffering for all beings. I will try to be wise so that I can see both sides of conflict wth clarity, and not insist that I alone am right. I will try to…

  • The Truth of Impermanence is Found in ‘Ohana

    The Truth of Impermanence is Found in ‘Ohana The Teachings of Buddha awaken us to the Truth that all things are not permanent, that constant change is the natural way of things, that all conditioned things shall eventually cease to exist. Our self-centered desire for things to remain the way they are is the cause…

  • LIFE’S A BEACH and then you’re born in the Pure Land

    Good morning! I am very grateful that the karmic causes and conditions of my life, the truth of Jodo Shinshu, and the truth of Hawaii led me to Tokudo ordination as a sōryō priest of the Hongwanji two weeks ago in Kyoto, Japan. This journey has led me to a new understanding of the meaning…

  • Bon Dancin’ as Buddhist Practice: Come as You Are

    Shin Buddhists don’t believe Obon is when the “souls” of ancestors return, nor that memorial services, offering of lights, or other rituals benefit dead relatives. Obon is a time for us, who are living this unrepeatable life, to pause and reflect, to remember and honor those who have passed on before us, to appreciate all…