Practice
312 articles in category.
Unstained by the Mud
I loved wearing expensive clothes. I would go to the market myself to pick out fabric, then take it to a tailor to have it measured and cut. I often wore a tie and dressed in all sorts of outfits that drew compliments.
ReadShowing the Dharma with the Tongue
A monk asked Chan Master Lingguan, "What is the Buddha?"
ReadSmashing the Bones of Empty Space
In his youth, National Teacher Musō traveled a thousand miles to study with Chan Master Issan in Kyoto. One day he went to the abbot's quarters and asked:
ReadProfessor Lin Chong-an: A Study of the Compilation of the Āgamas and the Origins of Mahāyāna Scriptures
Selected Buddhist Studies Essays
ReadWe, Too, Share in the Lotus Adornment of the Land of Bliss's Jeweled Pools
The surface of the pools in the Land of Bliss is covered with lotus flowers. These include the utpala—the blue lotus, the padma—the yellow lotus, the kumuda—the red lotus, and the pundarika—the white lotus. These are the lotuses of four ...
ReadWomen Who Wish to Become Noble Should Diligently Recite the Buddha's Name
There is a well-known story from the Buddha's time. When the Buddha was in the world, King Prasenajit had a consort called Lady Molili—perhaps you've heard of her. She later became one of Buddhism's great patrons.
ReadHow Do Our Inverted Appearances Arise?
How do our inverted appearances come about? “They arise only from causes and conditions, generated by inversion.” “Existence through causes and conditions” is karmic force; “generated by inversion” refers to the grasping and discriminati...
ReadThe Six Identities of Buddhahood: Identity in Name
If we want to walk the Bodhi path — steady and complete — the very first thing to do in what we call true practice is listen to the Mahāyāna teachings.
ReadThe Six Identities of Buddha: Partial Realization Buddha and Ultimate Buddha
Alright, let's look at the next one. We're now entering the sage stage, moving from the inner ordinary stage to the sage stage's Partial Realization Buddha. Please join your palms.
ReadWhen Karmic Obstacles Arise, Without Merit You Are Done For
When you're quietly cultivating merit day to day, no one knows about it—not even you. It only reveals itself when something happens. Take the cause and effect we just spoke of: when things are calm, you don't realize how precious merit i...
ReadA Discerning Eye
Do koans have answers? Without a doubt, yes. Can koans be answered however you like or explained away casually? Without a doubt, no. Do koans have a single correct answer? No — there can be many correct ways to respond, but all of them s...
ReadFirst Exposition of the Core Principle
When Patriarch Bodhidharma arrived in the Eastern Land, Emperor Wu of Liang welcomed him with an invitation. The Emperor asked:
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