CTTB
A few weekends ago, I left the monastery for the first time. The shock wasn’t as great as I thought it would be. In fact, the differences I noticed were mostly in myself, and subtly in the environment around me. Some distinctions were obvious. Like sound. Driving through the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB) gate [...]
The more I settle into life here, the more I become aware of my inner patterns—my fluctuating thoughts, emotions, and reactions. Living at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB), I’ve become much more aware of how my perceptions of my surroundings are a reflection of my mental state at the time. Living in a [...]
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? [...]
When I was a kid, I loved to hide. Playing in my bedroom, I’d sneakily dive under the covers and sit there, a smiling, smug child, thinking I was invisible. “Audrey’s hiding again,” my older sister would proclaim, in a rolling-her-eyes type tone. “That’s okay. Let her hide,” my mother would respond, allowing me to [...]