The biggest human temptation is … to settle for too little. To say that I am made in the image of God is to say that Love is the reason for my existence, for God is love. Love is my true identity. Selflessness is my true self. Love is my true character. Love is my … Continue reading Thomas Merton Quotes
Author: Clare
Words of Wisdom from James Hollis
The Universe comes to our assistance at just the right time with just what we need. This happened to me when I clicked on the youtube interview below in which Tami Simon, founder of Sounds True, interviews James Hollis PHD. Hollis is in his 80s, with his mind sharp as a tack. He has experienced … Continue reading Words of Wisdom from James Hollis
A Japanese Buddhist Temple Pilgrimage Trip
Here is a two-part documentary about visiting the THE 88 TEMPLES PILGRIMAGE IN SHIKOKU JAPAN. This pilgrimage which takes 49 days using the old routes is a centuries-old tradition. The Shikoku Pilgrimage (四国遍路, Shikoku Henro) or Shikoku Junrei (四国巡礼) is a multi-site pilgrimage of 88 temples associated with the Buddhist monk Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi) on … Continue reading A Japanese Buddhist Temple Pilgrimage Trip
Epitaph
As I sat at our monastery’s reception desk the other day, I offered to converse with our visiting monk because his desire was to learn to speak English better. His English was already very good, he just needed to work on putting sentences together better. I wasn’t very good at teaching him, but after five … Continue reading Epitaph
Perceiving Beauty = Heart Opening
Have you ever noticed that some people marvel at the beauty around them all of the time and others don't even see it? Beauty and creativity are related, in that artists and poets and gardeners and dreamers are lost in the beauty of the moment. Beauty is like gratitude, because when we notice beauty, it … Continue reading Perceiving Beauty = Heart Opening
What is “The Essence of Mahayana Practice?”
THE ESSENCE OF MAHAYANA PRACTICEby Master BodhidharmaComplete title: “Great Master Bodhidharma’s Essential Discourse on Entering the Mahayana Path by Principle and by Practice” To enter the Great Way there are many paths, but essentially they are of two means: by Principle and by Practice.Entering the Way by Principle means to awaken to the Truth through … Continue reading What is “The Essence of Mahayana Practice?”
The Source of Everything? The Flower of Life.
Leonardo da Vinci’s drawing of flower of life. Public domain. This subject interests me, because around the first of this year, 2025, I became obsessed with roses. I feel that they are an important symbol of love, of creation, of peace, of beauty, of positivity, of nirvana, and of the heart chakra. And, if we … Continue reading The Source of Everything? The Flower of Life.
One Seeker's Story 