Roshi began his talk with what he jokingly called the “Worst Zen Poem Ever.” It goes something like this: In spring, the cherry blossoms,In summer, the cuckoo’s song,In autumn, the moon shining,In winter, the frozen snow:How pure and clear are the seasons! At first glance, there’s nothing remarkable or mysterious about this poem. Roshi wondered…

Roshi began this week’s talk by describing a fascinating experiment: if you place an ant on a piece of paper and draw a circle around it, the ant will not cross the line. The ant becomes imprisoned behind a boundary it could easily step over. You can continue drawing the circle smaller and smaller, and…

Recently, a beautiful crystal bell, which our Sangha has enjoyed for years, partially shattered or chipped. At some point, one or more of us may have been distracted or rushed, and let the bell hit the ground. Luckily, we are not the first sangha, or the first people, to make mistakes. Master Dōgen Zenji’s Shobogenzo…