What We Believe – Setsubun – Dharma Talk Given February 3, 2008

What We Believe – Setsubun – Feb. 3, 2008 Available on Podcast Today we celebrate Setsubun, which demarcates the division of the seasons, winter and spring. It is customary in Japan to toss beans to drive away Oni or demons. In our culture the belief in spirits, demons, and other supernatural phenomena has been all but eliminated by our acceptance of science and technology. Those phenomena not proven or verifiable by science have been pushed…

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World AIDS Day Interfaith Prayer – Prayer Offered December 1, 2008

Good evening, thank you all for attending tonight’s interfaith prayer service commemorating World AIDS day, the 20th such World AIDS day. Also, thank you for letting me stand before you tonight to offer some of the wisdom of Buddhism. Tonight the theme is “A Season of Hope.” When asked if I would be willing to participate tonight, one of my first thoughts was why “A Season of Hope”? Why not, “A Season of Joy”? This…

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We Become What We Think – Dharma Talk Given January 20, 2008

We Become What We Think 1-20-08 This Dharma Talk comes in large part from a blog on Zen Habits dot com. There are many reasons why we don’t always get what we want. One of these reasons is because we focus on the opposite of what we want. Sometimes, we just can’t help it. But, if we are conscious of our thoughts, we can intercept these thoughts and shift our frame of mind towards our…

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Summertime Heat – Burning House – Dharma Talk Given July 27, 2008

Summertime Heat – Burning House Summer is definitely here. This past week was a scorcher and I struggled to not turn on the air-conditioner except at night in my bedroom. In an effort to save money I am content with sweating and showering in cold water. It isn’t so bad once you get used to it. With all the heat it reminded me of the parable of the burning house. You know, the parable where…

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