‘The brightness of awareness becomes a refuge, a place of clarity and peace amidst the fluctuations of the mind and the world.’ Everyday Buddhism

This sutta uses the metaphor of crossing a dangerous flood (ogha) to represent transcending samsara. The Buddha's method—neither striving too hard nor being completely passive—illustrates the Middle Way.

‘When you are crazy drunk, whether you do good deeds or evil ones, all your behaviour is that of a drunken mind, not a true one.’ Bassui Tokushō

‘When we understand the Buddhist teachings, it is the same whether we meet with good fortune or with bad.’ Everyday Buddhism

Luckily for me, my teacher Nyogen Roshi keeps repeating the same thing over and over again. (I’m beginning to realize that’s what teachers do.) In nearly every one of his weekly dharma talks he ends up reciting a set of instructions given to him by his teacher Maezumi...

In the fall, the broad canopy of giant sycamores in my backyard turns faintly yellow and the leaves sail down. First by ones, and then by tons. A part of every autumn day finds me fuming at the sight of falling leaves. Then, I pick up a rake. Tell me, while I’m...