James Roberts
James Roberts has spent a good deal of time pondering the mysteries of the universe and human existence, but lately he’s been focusing his attention on the inward rather than the outward, and he’s finding that living at CTTB is a great opportunity for this. Just like trees, people have roots as well as leaves and branches -- our roots are the inward aspects of our lives that aren’t seen directly, but they still have outward consequences that are expressed in various ways in our lives. James is spending some time paying attention to his roots.
[Admin’s note: This post is out of sequence due to Admin error. Much apologies!] Today marks the beginning of my second week as a volunteer and student at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. I’m just starting to feel settled in, having found some work to do so that I can make a contribution to [...]
About thirty students from Humboldt State University came to visit the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas last weekend, to participate in the monastic lifestyle as an educational experience. I was asked to guide the group around campus, and I also sat in on the Q&A sessions that the Ciity held for them, so I had [...]
[Admin’s note: This spring, volunteers and staff participated in a 7-day Guan Yin Practice Retreat. During the Guan Yin session, participants recite the name of Guan Yin Bodhisattva. In our Chan tradition, meditation brings the mind back to whatever method of practice we are doing, whether it’s mental awareness, reciting, bowing, etc… Inevitably, the mind [...]
My stepfather passed away Sunday afternoon, having been bedridden with cancer for two months. There are a lot of stories to be told about what the past two months have been like for everyone involved, but for this post I just want to tell the story of what my own experience has been like, and [...]
It isn’t common for me to write poetry, but this poem came to mind sort of suddenly during the winter Chan session here at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB). After the bell rang I rushed back to my room to write it down. A pebble wonders, Why are there ripples in the stream? [...]