Reflections

There are these four thoroughbred horses, the Buddha starts one sutta in the Anguttara Nikaya. One need see only the shadow of a whip and he becomes energetic, ready to work, ready to train. Another ignores the shadow, but it roused when he hears its crack or feels it rush by. Another, refusing to be […]

A Parable on Prayer from the Christian Faith: One day a man, who was deeply faithful and a strong believer in prayer, got word that a flash flood was on its way. He barely had enough time to get onto his roof before the flood waters arrived and submerged the ground floor of his home.

On Sunday, Bhante Jayasara gave a talk to the Indonesian Buddhist Family of New York on Letting Go, which gave rise to a good Q&A session with dialogue from both monastics. Last night, the topic of the wednesday tea/zoom session turned to another form of letting go: the contemplation of death. Like the consideration of

The most fruitful dhamma explorations, I find, are the ones that are delved into communally – the ongoing dialogue among seekers that allows us to push beyond our limited understandings to explore themes too vast to be encompassed by just one viewpoint. This week’s exploration has been around speech, and the unimpeachable value of Truth.

In the Buddha’s time, people of many faiths were already keeping a sabbath on the Full and New Moons, called observing the Uposatha. When they requested that the Buddha also lay out an observance for this holy day, the Buddha described the practice of taking the 8 Precepts for a day and a night. Doing

See Bhante Pamutto and Bhante Jarasara during their regular Sunday morning Zoom session with the Indonesian Buddhist Family in NYC. Bhante Pamutto speaks on Sacca Parami – the Practice and Perfection of Truth, with stories, examples and tips for developing this vital quality. The lengthy Q&A session after includes insights from both monastics further developing