Talks by Lee and Madelon during the In-City Retreat, July 7-9, 2017
Observing: A Midsummer Retreat – A talk by Madelon Bolling, (July 9, 2017) To be clear and tranquil about the end of “me” I need to be clear and tranquil about what “me” is, and in general there is a lot of confusion on this point. We often hear teachers say, “you are not what you think you are.” But then what? The mind says, “Oh yeah, yeah—all beings without exception have Buddha nature, I’ve heard. Whatever that means—it’s sort of beyond what I can get.” And it pulls attention back into cloud-identified dreaming. Read full talk. Going to Abandoned Grassy Places –...
Read MoreTwo-Day Zen Retreat with Jack Duffy (August 12-13, 2017)
Three Treasures Sangha is hosting a two-day retreat with Jack Duffy Roshi at Dharma Gate zendo on August 12-13. Jack Duffy will give a talk each day and hold dokusan (practice-related interviews). Everyone is welcome even if you haven’t attended a Three Treasures Sangha retreat. If you’re looking for other opportunities to sit Zen with Three Treasures, check out our Calendar. For more information about this or other retreats, contact ttssangha@gmail.com. SCHEDULE Saturday, August 13th 8:15am — Work period 9:00am —...
Read MoreSeven-Day Zen Retreat (Sesshin) with Jack Duffy (September 9-16, 2017)
Three Treasures Sangha holds two, seven-day meditation retreats (Sesshins) each year at Mountain Lamp, a rural practice center near Bellingham, Washington. See our Sesshin page for more information.
Read MoreObserving: A Midsummer Retreat – A talk by Madelon Bolling, (July 9, 2017)
The predecessor of this midsummer retreat was called “Ancient Bones.” They say it was discontinued because fewer and fewer people could attend at all. Even with allowances for our limitations, it had become too arduous for those with ancient bones. I bought pre-paid cremation services for my dad a couple weekends ago and we scattered my brother-in-law’s ashes on the Fourth of July. We’re all of us facing death from the instant we are born. We can’t face away from it since it is part of life itself. Death is seen as an end, the ending of everything. No more fun and no more...
Read MoreGoing to Abandoned Grassy Places – Introduction to long walking meditation (July 8, 2017)
The purpose of going to abandoned grassy places and doing zazen is to search for our self-nature. Now, at such a moment, where is your self-nature? This is the outdoor dojo. Unlike the indoor dojo: NO BELLS NO STRICT TIMING we rise and settle like geese – each alert to the others NO LOOKING INWARD INSTEAD, we walk in continuous attention to the moving intersection of time and space: where PAST meets FUTURE INSIDE meets OUTSIDE . . . at the constantly moving intersection of NOWHERE (now-here) Staying with clear heart and open mind in the openness of this intersection, we practice...
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