#Upaya Zen Center

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

(from Rev. Roshi Joan Halifax of Upaya Zen Center)

[Thanks to Peege on bluesky]

[dharmatea]

My Lineage:

Dharma Moon:

“Teachings inspired in part by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche as well as many other Buddhist teachers and wisdom holders of traditional lineages. As well as informed by current findings from the worlds of neuroscience and therapeutic models regarding the verifiable benefits of meditation.

Not associated with the Shambhala Organization - the successor organization to the spiritual community that Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche created and led from 1970 until his death in 1987, but some of the members and instructors had been former members of Shambhala.”

Dharma Studies Program:

This coarse is the equivalent to a Master’s Degree in Buddhist studies (Dharma Teaching) (non-for-credit auditing) Secular Buddhism, Buddhist Psychology

Entering the Path,

Understanding Karma and the Six Realms,

The Bodhisattva's Path: Emptiness and Compassion,

Introduction to Tantra: Wisdom is Already Present,

Warrior In The World: The Path of Complete Engagement.

Zen Centers & Buddhist groups I’ve meditated and/or studied with:

• Taoist Tantra Meditation Group - Meditation Chapel

• Glasgow Zen Center

• Mountain Cloud Zen Center

• Upaya Zen Center

• SecularBuddhism.com (online community) -Noah Rasheta… Mahayana tradition, particularly Zen and Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism. This lineage, emphasizing personal spiritual growth and the widespread accessibility of Buddhist teachings, informs much of our course content. Noah Rasheta was guided by Koyo S. Kubose (1941-2022). His lineage extends back through notable figures such as Gyomay M. Kubose (1905-2000), Haya Akegarasu (1877-1954), and Manshi Kiyozawa (1863-1901), reaching Shinran Shonin (1173-1262), the founder of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism, with roots stretching back to Nagarjuna and ultimately to the Buddha himself. Zen Buddhism, with its deep meditation practices and emphasis on authentic self-perception, alongside Jōdo Shinshū's focus on democratizing Buddhist teachings, significantly influence Noah Rasheta’s approach to these teachings.

• My local Zen Center

Classes I’ve Taken:

• East Asian Religion & Ecology-Yale School of the Environment

• Buddhist Studies -Center of Excellence

[alexesguerra]

A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism: The Path of Awareness, Compassion, and Wisdom A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism: The Path of Awareness, Compassion, and Wisdom Contributor(s): Dahl, Cortland (Author) , Mingyur Rinpoche, Yongey (Foreword by) Publisher: Shambhala ISBN: 1645470970 Physical Info: 1.2" H x 8.1" L x 5.7" W (0.8 lbs) 272 pages CORTLAND DAHL is a scientist, Buddhist scholar and translator, and meditation teacher. Beginning in the early 1990s, his passion for training the mind led him on a journey to Buddhist centers across Asia, culminating in eight years living in Tibetan refugee settlements near Kathmandu, Nepal. He is actively involved in scientific research on meditation and human flourishing at the Center for Healthy Minds, and he cofounded Tergar, a network of meditation centers with activities on six continents, with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. Cortland lives with his wife and son in Madison, Wisconsin. Review Quotes: "Cortland Dahl, an advanced practitioner who is also deeply immersed in the scientific research into the psychological and physiological benefits of meditation, guides readers through fascinating transformative practices. His goal is to distill esoteric teachings into practices that busy modern people can employ in their daily lives. I'm all for it." -- Dan Harris, New York Times bestselling author of 10% Happier "An extremely clear, user-friendly, and compelling guide to meditation practice as seen through the sweeping perspective of a Vajrayana lens. Cortland Dahl's disarming honesty regarding his personal experience and his relationship with his Tibetan teacher invite and ultimately entrain the reader right into nondual meditation practice. Dahl systematically maps out and guides us in a contemporary perspective on the essential teachings of this ancient and venerable lineage, their relevance to the present moment, and most importantly, their relevance to you, the reader, as a unique and uniquely beautiful human being." -- Jon Kabat-Zinn, bestselling author of Wherever You Go, There You Are and Coming to Our Senses "Guiding us with a gentle hand, Cortland Dahl leads us through every stage of the Buddhist journey, beginning with the bedrock of the Four Noble Truths and the altruistic aspiration to enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, and culminating in the profound view of ultimate truth. In a clear and accessible manner, he offers a comprehensive exposition of the Buddhist teachings that will appeal to all readers." -- Matthieu Ricard, author of Notebooks of a Wandering Monk and The Quantum and the Lotus "This book opens an extraordinary door to meditation--wise, practical, brave, and accessible." -- Roshi Joan Halifax, abbot of Upaya Zen Center "This jewel of a book accomplishes the seemingly impossible task of distilling ancient Buddhist texts into relatable and accessible teachings without watering them down. A warm and accomplished teacher of challenging material, Cortland Dahl has written a brilliant and indispensable guide that shows both new and experienced meditators innovative ways to integrate these ancient texts into their lives anytime and anywhere." -- Susan Kaiser Greenland, author of Real-World Enlightenment, Mindful Games, and The Mindful Child " A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism is that rare combination of impressive clarity and warmheartedness, so that we feel invited to our own direct experience of a path to freedom. Reading it, whether you are new to meditation or a more experienced student, will enrich your understanding and inspire you to live these truths." -- Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Life " A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism offers anyone, from the merely curious, to beginners in meditation, to 'old dog' seasoned practitioners, a wry and useful overview. This guide can be used on its own by solitary meditators or serve as a handbook to the valuable lessons in Buddhism and meditation offered by Tergar International, the organization guided by Mingyur Rinpoche. I highly recommend it." -- Daniel Goleman, New York Times bestselling author of Emotional Intelligence " A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism is a gem. Easily accessible, down-to-earth, and practical. This book should be a companion to anyone with an interest in the Buddhist path. Replete with compelling personal stories, sprinkled with simple, user-friendly practices, and comprehensive in its overview of the entire Buddhist path, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in meditation, and really for all those who wish to flourish." -- Richard J. Davidson, New York Times bestselling author of The Emotional Life of Your Brain and coauthor of Altered Traits "This is a delightful and extremely useful book. Cortland Dahl expertly describes the essence of the three main Buddhist traditions, guides the reader through accessible practices, and brings it all to life with his own embodied wisdom." -- Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Unwinding Anxiety and The Craving Mind "Clear, open, friendly, warm, and wonderful, especially for those new to Tibetan Buddhism." -- Buddhistdoor Global Publisher Marketing: Amid stress, anxiety, and life's challenges, Buddhism offers a path that can meet them fearlessly with awareness, compassion, and wisdom. This core resource for Buddhist practice offers accessible teachings for beginners or for anyone ready to explore meditation more deeply. Buddhism is rooted in the simple idea that you can train your mind to suffer less and flourish more. In this experiential guide, Cortland Dahl will take you on a journey through the core principles and meditation practices of the Buddhist tradition. The journey begins with teachings on the Four Noble Truths, practical observations that will help you understand the causes of unhappiness, and how you can access inner calm and deep insight through meditation. The journey continues with teachings on compassion, buddha nature, and the profound principle of emptiness, before culminating in a discussion of meditation practices that use common experiences like dreams and strong emotions to awaken. Through accessible teachings and relatable stories, you will learn simple methods to transform your mind and embrace true, unshakeable happiness.

[mongeyakusan]

“Raihai Tokuzui” (Prestando homenagem e atingindo a Essência) Eihei Dogen Zenji - Dezembro 1240. (Versão do Prof. Emeritus Stanley Weinstein Ph.D., especialista em Budismo Sino-japonês da universidade de Yale) Não há dúvida de que existem pessoas que não prestam homenagem a mulheres ou monjas, tendo estas obtido o Dharma e que o estejam transmitindo. Aquelas pessoas não entendem o Dharma, e desde que obviamente elas jamais o estudaram, são como bestas, completamente afastadas dos Buddhas e ancestrais. O feminino não é diferente do masculino, portanto homens e mulheres podem obter o Dharma sem distinção entre os dois (...) Assim, não te percas em ideias de separação como a de que homens são diferentes das mulheres. Do mesmo modo, hoje em dia, existem aqueles que são extremamente estúpidos e pensam, "Mulheres são nada mais do que objetos sexuais e provedoras de comida." Estas pessoas falham em considerar que esse tipo e pensamento resulta de visões distorcidas e erradas. As crianças de Buddha não deveriam ser assim. Há monges tolos, na China, que fazem o seguinte voto, 'Eu não irei olhar para uma mulher por incontáveis renascimentos no porvir.' Em qual Dharma isto está fundamentado? Qual é o terrível demérito em ser uma mulher? Qual é o grande mérito em ser um homem? Há muitos homens maus, e muitas boas mulheres. Se tu desejas ouvir o Dharma e pôr um fim ao teu sofrimento e tumulto, esqueças de tais coisas como a ideia de distinção entre mulheres e homens. Monges que tem aversão às mulheres estão profundamente inebriados com o vinho da arrogância, e suas palavras de desprezo são palavras de loucura induzida pela intoxicação. Seres humanos e deuses jamais deverão levar a sério estas atitudes. Foto: Imagem de Mahaprajapati Gautami do Upaya Zen Center, Santa Fe, EUA. #zen #zazen #shikantaza #satori #kensho #bodaishin #bodaimind #despertar #mentedesperta #buddhism #budismo #zenbuddhism #zenbudismo #budismozen #pazinterior #meditação #monges #monjas #mahaprajapati #autoconhecimento #equilíbrio #espiritualidade #ética #sotozen #sotoshu #yakusan #mongeyakusan #omédicoeomonge #monjacoen https://www.instagram.com/p/Cphs-Q7unyE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[rockymountainbeeplant]

Xin Xin Ming

upcoming talk: 

https://www.upaya.org/program/faith-beyond-duality-trust-and-belonging-in-your-own-heart/?id=2386

[true-person-of-no-rank]

[hidden-leaven]

Hope is a form of resistance.

[wellbodymind]

35 years after a spiritual awakening, nothing dramatic happened

35 years after a spiritual awakening, nothing dramatic happened

On August 14, 1984, I experienced a dramatic spiritual awakening, but I sure didn’t know what it was at the time. It took years for me to find a context and to recognize it as spiritual.

Here’s the backstory. I, a single mom and full-time college student, employed part-time in a psychiatric hospital, took a much-needed vacation, leaving my beloved 3-year-old daughter with her grandparents for…

[tsultrimpawo]

Training Skillful Intentions The teaching on karma starts with the principle that people experience happiness and sorrow based on a combination of their past and present intentions. If we act with unskillful intentions either for ourselves or for others, we’re going to suffer. If we act with skillful intentions, we’ll experience happiness. So if we want to be happy, we have to train our intentions to always be skillful. - Thanissaro Bhikkhu, “Head & Heart Together” #Upaya (at New Haven Zen Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjxfhvgOhWn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[eelhound]

"Let’s begin to look at the function of speech through a case in Dogen’s Shobogenzo :

The great master Hyung ju was asked by a government official who had brought an offering, 'It is said that the World Honored One had intimate speech, and Mahakashapa did not hide it. And what was the World Honored One’s intimate speech?'

This is a wonderful question. And it’s a challenge, as you can imagine. Another koan to consider:

Hyung ju said to the man who was presenting a gift to him: 'Officer?' 'Yes?' 'You understand?' 'No, I don’t.' 'If you don’t understand it, that is the world’s honored one’s intimate speech. If you do understand it, that is Mahakashapa not hiding.'

You might remember the story of Mahakashapa. The Buddha was talking before a great assembly and, at a certain point, he held up a flower. Everyone in the assembly was asking, ‘What was that about?' and Mahakashapa, in the back of the assembly, just smiled. This is a story about that kind of connection, in fundamental silence. The whole assembly was quiet, the flower is herself silent, and it’s a much deeper silence we are referencing here that gives birth to intimate speech, that incredible sense of connection that happens through the medium of a moment, a moment that is characterized by openness, ease, spaciousness, boundlessness." - Roshi Joan Halifax, from "Intimate Speech." Upaya Institute and Zen Center. 8 May, 2012.

[ginzyblog]

Baghavan Das & Ram Dass, early June 1972, at Allen’s old Columbia College classmate David Padua’s home (now the current site of Upaya Zen Center), Santa Fe, New Mexico, snapped by Allen. #BaghavanDas #RamdDass  #santafe #upayazencenter #allenginsberg #poetrycommunity #poets @babaramdass @baba_bhagavan_das (at Santa Fe, New Mexico) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMIWrz4h7u8/?igshid=e286pqcp62ud

[rdnewhaven]

The Power of Perspective "Only a being’s perspective leads to suffering. Two people in the exact same situation, according to their outlook and expectations, can have completely different experiences. Turn that around, and any conditions can be a vehicle for bondage — or freedom and awakening." — Vinny Ferraro, "The Heartful Dodger" #Upaya (at New Haven Zen Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkIhZjQOmuv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[breeshiawade]

Loss Doesn’t Need to Be Feared

Grief can either be used as a tool to bring us closer to ourselves, and thus to each other, or it can tear us apart. We are so busy running from loss, like a child hiding from the boogeyman, that we don’t care who we knock down along the way, so long as sorrow stays far enough behind. But loss doesn’t need to be feared, and neither do we, ourselves. When we choose to use mindfulness and meditation not only to become aware of our own grief and how it impacts our life but also to accept the inevitability of loss and of failure, we open ourselves up to new possibilities. We open ourselves up to beauty. To connection. To liberation and justice.

Breeshia Wade holds a master’s degree in Religious Studies from the University of Chicago and completed a two-year Buddhist chaplaincy training at Upaya Zen Center. She spent five years as a birth doula and hospice caregiver and now leads classes and workshops for individuals and institutions on grief, injustice, and inclusiveness.                                               

[mongeyakusan]

“Raihai Tokuzui” (Prestando homenagem e atingindo a Essência) Eihei Dogen Zenji - Dezembro 1240. (Versão do Prof. Emeritus Stanley Weinstein Ph.D., especialista em Budismo Sino-japonês da universidade de Yale) Não há dúvida de que existem pessoas que não prestam homenagem a mulheres ou monjas, tendo estas obtido o Dharma e que o estejam transmitindo. Aquelas pessoas não entendem o Dharma, e desde que obviamente elas jamais o estudaram, são como bestas, completamente afastadas dos Buddhas e ancestrais. O feminino não é diferente do masculino, portanto homens e mulheres podem obter o Dharma sem distinção entre os dois (...) Assim, não te percas em ideias de separação como a de que homens são diferentes das mulheres. Do mesmo modo, hoje em dia, existem aqueles que são extremamente estúpidos e pensam, "Mulheres são nada mais do que objetos sexuais e provedoras de comida." Estas pessoas falham em considerar que esse tipo e pensamento resulta de visões distorcidas e erradas. As crianças de Buddha não deveriam ser assim. Há monges tolos, na China, que fazem o seguinte voto, 'Eu não irei olhar para uma mulher por incontáveis renascimentos no porvir.' Em qual Dharma isto está fundamentado? Qual é o terrível demérito em ser uma mulher? Qual é o grande mérito em ser um homem? Há muitos homens maus, e muitas boas mulheres. Se tu desejas ouvir o Dharma e pôr um fim ao teu sofrimento e tumulto, esqueças de tais coisas como a ideia de distinção entre mulheres e homens. Monges que tem aversão às mulheres estão profundamente inebriados com o vinho da arrogância, e suas palavras de desprezo são palavras de loucura induzida pela intoxicação. Seres humanos e deuses jamais deverão levar a sério estas atitudes. Foto: Imagem de Mahaprajapati Gautami do Upaya Zen Center, Santa Fe, EUA. #zen #zazen #shikantaza #satori #kensho #bodaishin #bodaimind #despertar #mentedesperta #buddhism #budismo #zenbuddhism #zenbudismo #budismozen #pazinterior #meditação #monges #monjas #mahaprajapati #autoconhecimento #equilíbrio #espiritualidade #ética #sotozen #sotoshu #yakusan #mongeyakusan #omédicoeomonge https://www.instagram.com/p/CMKQ1qUh7pH/?igshid=dlejw1p2jc2i