Saturday, December 3, Lama David Curtis will present a free 1-hour lecture by Zoom on a verse from the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva, explaining each word and how Tibetan is put together. This is a wonderful way to stay connected to Tibetan and the Dharma during the Holidays. Click here to learn more and to register for the […]
Dekeling Blog
Heart Sutra Explained – class from outside Dekeling
This will likely be quite good. The Benefit of Reciting and Practicing “The Heart Sutra” “The Sutra of the Heart of the Transcendent Perfection of Wisdom” or “The Heart Sutra” in short, encapsulates the topic of the Prajnaparamita (Transcendent Perfection of Wisdom) Sutra on the unerring paths of methods taught in all Sutras. The infallible meaning of the entire […]
I worried
a poem by Mary Oliver I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the riversflow in the right direction, will the earth turnas it was taught, and if not how shallI correct it?Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven,can I do better?Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrowscan […]
Little bird tracks
One of three journal posts I wrote on the three and a half years I was in long retreat. Little bird tracks. Squirrel tracks. Mouse tracks. Slippers and boots and some large, unidentified paw prints. There is a fine dust of snow on the breeze way, and there is a map of who’s been where […]
Awake. Awake. awake.
(On three year retreat I thought I would keep a journal. There was no time. Well, perhaps there was time, but it soon became clear that there were better things to do with the time. But I did write two essays. this and one other.) I am mid-way through a three and a half hour […]
Dharma elders
Someone sent me this photo just now. This is Jan “Chozen” Bays, Roshi, a bright star of the Buddhadharma, a living, breathing example of “the Great Vow” of compassion. Many of my closest dharma friends are approaching their twilight years. Nearly all of them have devoted their last five to six decades to serving the […]
The Lama and the community
What are the primary roles of the lama in a dharma community? The answer depends, of course, upon the community. Let’s consider Dekeling, the community some of us know best. You might remember in my talk on Sunday with Ken McLeod that we briefly touched on this; so let’s rewind to that. Both of us […]
Photos of Medicine Buddha Retreat
Thanks for Eric Platzek and Mary Woods for taking photos at the Medicine Buddha retreat. Watch for more info on sangha news in our newsletter, coming out mid-October, thanks to Teri Gelber. To see more photos, click here. We’ll have another Vajrayana retreat in 2023—see you there!
Grandfather fire came to tell US
Someone on retreat this weekend asked me to post this again since fire season is coming. Is here. Thank you for your practice.
Dalai lama on why reincarnation is not key
You can watch this excerpt from a talk by HH Dalai Lama here. His spirit really shines here.