Treasures We Do Not Seek – April 20, 2014 Dharma Talk

Good morning thank you for attending the temple this Easter morning. Even though Easter is not a Buddhist holiday there is much in the spirit of the holiday we can appreciate. Today I would like to share with you a connection I make with one part of the Easter story and the Lotus Sutra. As you know I work as a chaplain and in my work here in Charlotte I am frequently, almost entirely, called…

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Becoming a Chaplain – Personal Journey #2

Before anyone thinks too highly of me I need to tell you not just what I did in caring for those young men; boys if you will. It is important to tell you who I was at that time. This was a very low point in my spiritual practice, having drifted away from a regular consistent daily devotion. I was also was filled to overflowing with anger. At the time I was not mature enough…

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Becoming a Chaplain – Personal Journey #1

Today I am beginning a series of articles recounting my personal journey as a Chaplain. I am making a personal determination to post an article at least one time a week until I feel I have completed my objective. I hope you enjoy. Please feel free to comment. ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ In 1979 I lost my first friend to AIDS, several years before the disease had an actual name and before people really began to…

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Ohigan – Renewal – March 23, 2014 Dharma Talk

Good morning. Today is our first Lotus Sutra service since the Fall Equinox, our first service of Spring 2014. For those of us who live in the Carolinas the weather has been very delightful lately with mild temperatures and a lot of sunshine. Today the weather will be dramatically cooler and rain is supposed to start. While out walking my dog over the past few days I have had plenty of chances to stop and…

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