Dharma Library

Sian: I have been very lucky to have a Dharma buddy (kalyana mitta) for quite a few years and then more recently to acquire two more buddies! The relationship with each of them is different, and they bring different aspects of my practice and life to the light, so it has been wonderful to have each of them. With my first buddy we were quite organised in how we worked together at first, each taking…

War – sudden, cruel, brutal. In besieged cities people are dying from lack of food and water. Hospitals, schools and humanitarian corridors are being shelled. Civilians serve as human shields. Groups of people, including children, have been abducted deep into enemy territory.

Heroism and sacrifice of some, meanness and perfidy of others, indifference of yet others. Our disbelief, indignation,…

the guest house by rumi 

This being human is a guest house. 

Every morning a new arrival. 

A joy, a depression, a meanness, 

some momentary awareness comes 

as an unexpected visitor… 

Welcome and entertain them all! 

Be grateful for whoever comes, 

because each has been sent as a 

guide from beyond. 

Communicating in a group via the Internet during a viral pandemic has been an…

Caves are significant features in the sacred geography of the Himalaya. They are often in dramatic locations and form part of a larger mandalic landscape of mountains, lakes, valleys and rivers. Traditionally they are the preferred abode of those seeking contemplative isolation and many are alleged to have been inhabited by renowned tantric adepts such as Padmasambhava or the famous Tibetan yogi…

There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don’t know we don’t know. 

– Donald Rumsfeld. Former US Defence Secretary 2002 

I’m thinking about knowing and not knowing. 

It's important to know things, isn’t it. Things like how to drive…

To write about a place which has made such a profound impact on my life, and to do so concisely and effectively, feels like quite a challenge; but one which I feel I must take on – both for myself and as an offering to the community of fellow members, with whom I have shared so many precious hours and days: times which contained the broadest possible range of human emotions – some of which I had…

Book by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche with Helen Tworkov 

A friend gave me a copy of this book when I was recovering after an operation. What a brilliant gift and what an engaging book! Far from being a stuffy Buddhist text, it is an adventure story, describing one man’s journey towards enlightenment, exploring the mind of pure awareness and finding himself in love with the world. The author, Yongey…

The Pang family lived in China in the 8th century and all were lay Zen practitioners. The father is the most well-known with many of his encounter dialogues and poems being recorded. His wife was also an accomplished practitioner as were his son and his daughter, Ling Zhao, and she also has a number of her Zen conversations recorded and used as koans. This story is from those recorded sayings and…

It was still fully dark when I was first drawn from sleep; the guestmaster was raking out the wood burning stove in the Chan Hall just below where the male retreatants slept. A few minutes later we were all aroused by the sharp clack of mallet on wooden board, signalling time to get up. I scrambled into layers of warm clothes and was up and out into the yard in time for morning exercises. The…

I was thinking today that I really don’t know anyone who doesn’t like toast. I'm sure they are out there, but they must be few and far between. 

I love toast. 

Because my old trouble plays up now and then, I’m limited to sourdough, but I’ve got the knack of it. A while ago I noticed that I eat it in such a way as to provide the maximum amount of satisfaction. Eating bits I find boring first and…