A couple of days ago I found some traces of the history of the monastery I am currently staying in, and it is quite interesting! This monastery is build for the order of the Redemptorists.

Some history…

Dilemmas

Dogen Zenji is, perhaps, the most important figure in Zen in the history of Japan. I am working on a translation of Dogen's seminal text Genjo Koan. It is about enlightenment. It is written to a layperson. Later on Dogen writes other things that strongly suggest that it is virtually impossible for a lay person to be enlightened. Did Dogen change his mind? If so, why?

Dogen is known for being a dedicated advocate of zazen. It has the highest value in…

My arm stretched up into the cloud, masking my tenuous stronghold. I'm frozen in the moment of fear. What will happen if I let go? But my body takes over and I do and though I have the sensation of falling, I am also light-hearted with relief.

Saturday 21^st May

The dewdrop bejewels the grass in the dazzling early morning sunshine, bringing forth the promise of a sunny day ahead.

Yesterday we were again at Oasis for the weekly service. In his dharma talk Dharmavidya gave a new perspective on the classic teaching of sila, samadhi, prajna sometimes referred to as the “three higher trainings of Mahayana” and traditionally regarded as being a sequential teaching, a teaching that can be mapped onto marga…

Yesterday during breakfast I had a bit of a difficult conversation with Els about religion. In her younger years she had a strong belief in God, but along the way she lost it. One of her questions is “How is it possible that there is a God when there is so much suffering in the world?” All these questions are rising within her, because she wants to come to the autumn retreat at Eleusis. I know why she…

There is a nice little report here worth reflecting on

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20160509-the-truth-about-icelandic-happiness

Charlene interviewed me for her network. You can listen to the interview here.

Apparently, the USA dropped 23,144 bombs in Middle Eastern countries in 2015 - not an exceptional number, even - what is the karma of this?

http://www.jeanneripley.wordpress.com

When we know, we speak less and walk into the

glowing, green space of love, the glimmering

reality of this moment. No fear. We are always

directed and safe as long as we are awake. In the here

we feel every breath, hear the intent in every word.

Let's forego analyzing for being, for giving back

without measuring and…

I've sent this hymn to a person who has been fairly central in the recent storms in my life. It's something of an ending, I hope:

Foolish Beings

I do not blame you for being you;

I do not blame me for being me;

To Amida, we are both foolish beings,

But we can entrust ourselves to Him

And let him transform

Our foolish, vulnerable selves into Gold.

You carefully appreciate what you…