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Author Archives: JRL
The Heart Sutra
There is no practice, way, or path,No future place, no lingering past,Nothing is real, and nothing dream;Everything that is, just seems,and is connected but still freeto think with selfish vanityThat by itself it came to be. What folly, to imagine … Continue reading
Bodhisattva
There is no trying: Either you are a Buddha or you are not One. Once past duality there is no more “in training”; linear time ends, and everything is connected as Everything. There is nothing else. Just you and the … Continue reading
Posted in Poems
Tagged daily poems, haiku, Japanese forms, poetic forms, practice, reality, realization, samadhi, satori, waka
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The Shadow
Does the Shadow know what evil lurks in our hearts, how deep our vileness? To plumb to our bitter core takes piercing light, not darkness. Besides, evil grows in our mind, our thoughts of self; not in the heart’s realm. … Continue reading
More Pretend
You choose a place and time to take a stand, although you realize, to some degreethat at the moment you first make said plan,it’s already missed opportunity. You take a breath and calculate the costwith all the tools at hand, … Continue reading
Be Here Now, Or Don’t Be
Think about this, now:being here right here, there is nobeing somewhere else.What you “want” doesn’t matter; wish in one hand, as they say. If you choose elsewhereas the place where you must be,you’re not here at all.And where does that … Continue reading
Posted in Poems
Tagged awareness, haiku, nonduality, poetic forms, presence, time, waka
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Zazen
Breathing in and outIsn’t just for the cushion;It’s the entire thing.If you practice just sitting,This moment is everywhere. Try to stop breathing, And your attention can’t last;You are mind and body.Pretending at something elseRequires a lot of thinking. Everything you … Continue reading
Posted in Poems
Tagged breath, emptiness, haiku, meditation, poetic forms, waka, zazen, Zen
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Salt Dolls and Other Temporal Measures
In a dharma talk given July 15th for the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care (as part of their Summer 2024 Commit to Sit program), Zen teacher Norman Fischer said something quite interesting and profound. He was discussing the … Continue reading
Posted in Conversations
Tagged culture, hard sciences, Norman Fischer, perception, Ramakrishna, time, Zen
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