That Stupendous
When I was a teenager in the ‘60’s, one of the few Zen books available was Nancy Wilson Ross’s The World of Zen. That rich anthology of writings sat on the single bookshelf in the small bedroom I shared with my sister Martha, next to Hesse’s Siddhartha, Paul Reps’ Zen Flesh Zen Bones, and some […]
Musings on Death
Musings on Death Great is the Matter of birth & death Life slips quickly by Time waits for no one Wake up! Wake up! Don’t waste a moment! — traditional inscription on a Zen han (wooden block instrument) Recently a longtime member of our sangha in Poland died quite suddenly. Basia Rozciecha lived in Wrocław, […]
In the Heart of Winter
By Sunya-roshi At this time of year, the world seems almost to hold its breath. The sun still pauses to rest in the cold quiet – the Solstice is playing itself out. On these long, frosty nights in the mountains of North Carolina, stars scatter across the sky, spraying brilliant patterns of light. You have […]
Thanksgiving: Nourishing the Grateful Heart
By Sunya-roshi In the U.S. we make a big deal out of Thanksgiving, our annual tribute to gratitude, football, and overeating. Don’t get me wrong – I love Thanksgiving, with its relative freedom from religious trappings and over-the-top consumerism. With its theme of gratitude, it’s a perfect fit with our Zen practice, ceremonies and celebrations. […]
Memorial Zazenkai — Autumn Reflections
November: A time of inward-turning as the darkness increases–when the great teaching of Death and Dying vividly plays itself out all around us. Leaves flying and falling and covering the ground; dark, bare branches appearing; the gorgeous colors of early autumn now shifting into a more somber palette of brown and grey and olive green — […]
Early Autumn Reflections
Here at Windhorse we ushered in the new fall season with a 7-day sesshin. So many forces, seen and unseen, came together to support our dharma efforts! Perfect weather, with warm days bright with tall plumes of goldenrod, dreamy white-mist-in-the-mountains mornings, and cool, clear, starry nights, with the shimmering stripe of the Milky Way clearly […]
Late Summer Reflections at Windhorse
by Sunya-roshi Oh that my monk’s robe were wide enoughto gather up all the suffering peoplein this floating world — Ryõkan What a time we find ourselves in! When has it ever been more important, this dharma practice, and the support of others to help keep it alive? Surely no one needs it spelled out […]