In news, student talks, interviews and personal reflections, members of the Hazy Moon Sangha share the ways practice has transformed every aspect of their lives—at work, at home, in relationships, and in handling the change, pain, loss, and fear that all of us face at times. The consistent message from any serious Zen student is that practice works.
Sewing the Rakusu: A Formless Field of Self-Observation
In our Japanese Zen lineage the precept-taking ceremony is called Jukai. Those who wish to take Jukai begin by sewing a Rakusu, a bib-like garment assembled from cloth strips. The practice emerged from the custom set by the Buddha, whose followers sewed their own robes. On the back of the Rakusu, the teacher writes the Dharma name chosen for the student…
Every Moment is an Opportunity
Years ago, after a decade of practicing law as a partner in a workaholic, intense, and very adversarial corporate New York law firm, I drastically shifted gears and took a job as General Counsel for a nonprofit social services organization. A major impetus behind this terrifying change—with its resulting 95 percent cut in pay—was a […]
Vickie Reiju Cumberland’s Jukai
When Vickie Cumberland attended her first formal Zen retreat five years ago, she drove eight hours from Kansas City to Cincinnati to sit with a fledging group that would later become the Dewdrop Sangha, an affiliate of the Hazy Moon. Since then, she has practiced at the Hazy Moon and at retreats in Ohio, Wisconsin, […]
Ordinary, Extraordinary Life
Although chronologically I’m in the early winter of my life and older than most students at the Hazy Moon, five years of practice here is helping to shift my outlook. I know I don’t want to grow old simply chasing pleasures while waiting for the end. My life before I arrived at the Hazy Moon […]
Nate Kojun Hayes’s Jukai
After practicing with Maezen Sensei at retreats around the country, Nate Hayes returned to the Hazy Moon from his home in Athens, Ohio, for his Jukai, receiving the Bodhisattva Precepts and the dharma name Kojun, which means “genuine effort.”
The 49th Day
On this, the 49th day of your passing.
I’ve had a few people ask me, “How do Buddhists grieve?” Of course, the answer is simple. Like everyone else…
This Is Where I Am Today
Patrice Taisho Bucher’s poignant talk about caring for her elderly parents in her hometown of New Orleans reminds us that serious Zen practice can sometimes feel like trying to be quiet when you’re caught in a whirlwind. But the rewards are priceless. When she is able to get quiet, Taisho sees that her mother, who […]
Science Gets Personal
A review of Beyond Biocentrism: Rethinking Time, Space, Consciousness, and the Illusion of Death by Robert Lanza, MD with Bob Berman
Is it any wonder that some of us find ourselves uninterested in science that espouses lifeless mechanics and randomness theory? What if science were an exploration of mind? Your mind. How does it work? Where does the world I am living in come from?
Lurleen Honshin Benzian’s Jukai
After several years of practice at the Hazy Moon, Lurleen Benzian took the Buddha precepts and received Jukai from Nyogen Roshi on October 7 with sangha and family members in attendance. She received the Dharma name, Honshin, which means “Mind Only,” an auspicious name which carries particular enthusiasm and appreciation from Roshi. Congratulations, Honshin!
Appreciating Life: A Profile of Bob Berman
You would think that the discovery of potentially habitable planets orbiting a nearby star would excite an astronomer. Bob Berman—a columnist for Astronomy magazine, the astronomy editor of the Old Farmers Almanac and the author of ten popular books—was unimpressed…
Alive in the Mire: Swampland Flowers
A review of Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui translated by J.C. Cleary.
Vimalakirti said, “It’s like this: the high plateau does not produce lotus flowers; it is the mire of the low swamplands that produces these flowers…”
Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary
On August 26, 2017, a full house of members and friends gathered to celebrate the miraculous occasion of our 20th Anniversary. Services, including memorials for departed priests and honorary founder Maezumi Roshi, were followed by informal remembrances by long-time students. Nyogen Roshi’s wholehearted teisho paid tribute to our rare lineage and the tradition we embody […]
