Category: chaplain

Contemplating Disease – Ten Characteristics – Part 12e – December 28, 2018

Under the section which talks about Means Chih-I advises that you should skillfully employ healing methods as appropriate.  I take this to include the use of doctors and medicines which may be prescribed to you for your treatment and care.  Here I am going to reveal my prejudice to the use of Western medicine.   What informs my preference towards Western medicine would be a fair question to ask.  Mainly it boils down to the…

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Contemplating Disease – Part 12d – Ten Characteristics – December 26, 2018

Fourth of the Ten Characteristics is Constancy.  By this Chih-I means that the methods we employ for living in disease should all be consistent.  Every thought, every effort, every should be focused upon our belief and actions in living in disease.  It would be counter productive for us as believers in the Lotus Sutra and Buddhism to then employ thoughts and beliefs that contradict what we say is our core belief.  As Nichiren points out…

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NVC Dharma Talk – Observation – October 14, 2018

Here is the video recording of today’s Dharma talk.  Today we focused on the first of the four principles of Nonviolent Communication, NVC, Observation.  When we can make observations that are free of value and judgement we begin to eliminate the suffering of self.  Placing value on observations leads to suffering.

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Contemplating Disease – Part 12c – Ten Characteristics – October 2, 2018

Chih-I is quite strict when speaking of diligence and my experience bears out the necessity of taking to heart in all seriousness the advice he offers.  When it comes to our diligence in overcoming or living with illness there is no room to slack off.  Chih-I says that night and day from sunup to sunset with out rest from the “beginning, middle, and late night to the morning” we should practice diligently. He says your…

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