Dogen

01/10/2026

🙏Gratitude for Every Condition - On this first day of the new year, let us pause to remember something profound: everything and everyone we have encountered has brought us to this very moment.

The easy days that lifted our spirits and made us smile. The difficult times that tested our strength and taught us resilience. The unexpected turns that confused us at first, but later revealed their hidden gifts. All of it—every single condition, every circumstance, every encounter—has been quietly nourishing us, shaping us, guiding us to where we stand today.

We are here because of the kindness of people who became important in our lives. Because of the challenges that forced us to grow. Because of the moments of joy that reminded us of life’s beauty. Because of the moments of struggle that showed us what we’re capable of enduring.

We are here because of both the storms and the sunshine. Because of the people who said yes and the people who said no. Because of what we gained and what we lost. Because of every conversation, every connection, every opportunity given, every lesson learned along the way.

Today, let us offer our deepest gratitude—not only for the conditions that felt like blessings, but also for the ones that felt like burdens, for they too have been our teachers. Not only for the people who supported us, but also for those who challenged us, for they too have been part of our journey.
Every condition in our lives, whether we welcomed it or resisted it, has played its part in bringing us to this new beginning. And for that, may we bow in humble gratitude.

With this gratitude in our hearts, let us send loving-kindness to all beings—to those who have been by our side and those we have never met, to those who brought us joy and those who brought us lessons, to all who share this precious existence with us.

Let us carry this awareness forward—remembering that we are shaped not by single moments, but by the vast web of conditions that connect us all, nourish us all, and make us who we are.

May you and all beings be well, happy, and at peace.

04/14/2023

"The path to our destination is not always a straight one, .... We go down the wrong road. We get lost. We turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark."
-Leonard Quinhagak

12/08/2020

"There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting."

04/06/2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSJURyXh7yE

Alan Watts - What Happens If You Stop Talking To Yourself All The Time Alan Wilson Watts known commonly as Alan Watts was a British philosopher (1915 - 1973)...

04/06/2020

"He who stands on tiptoe doesn't stand firm. He who rushes ahead doesn't go far. He who tries to shine dims his own light. He who defines himself can't know who he really is. "

11/19/2019

“Treat every moment as your last. It is not preparation for something else.”

10/15/2019

If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it? -Dogen.

03/30/2019

01/08/2019

"Detachment means to have neither regrets for the past
nor fears for the future;
to let life take its course without attempting to interfere
with its movement and change,
neither trying to prolong the stay of things pleasant
nor to hasten the departure of things unpleasant.

To do this is to move in time with life,
to be in perfect accord with its changing music,
and this is called Enlightenment.

In short, it is to be detached from both past and future
and to live in the eternal Now."

12/16/2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OwGgumrbo8

Mini Interview with Brad Warner: Who was Dogen? In a series of mini interviews Brad Warner answers basic questions about Buddhism, Zen and Dogen. More info a...

12/03/2018

https://www.pocketmindfulness.com/understanding-monkey-mind-live-harmony-mental-companion/

We all have the mind of a monkey. This analogy, slightly humorous though it may be, is actually quite salient. Consider that we humans have around fifty thousand separate thoughts each day, many of them on the same topic. You