Talking Dharma » Archive
The Master’s Great Pesach – The Dharma of the Last Supper
In Christendom, the story of the Last Supper is a poignant and richly meaningful point in the narrative of Rav Yeshua’s last days, before his betrayal and death. In the Sacramental Movement it is a time when the tabernacle is emptied, and the Presence Light extinguished, the altar stripped of its linens, and the entire sanctuary takes on the stark and lifeless appearance and feeling of a tomb. For me, this was always one of the most profoundly heart-wrenching of liturgies to perform, and would mark the beginning of the three days of contemplation upon impermanence, death and awakening. For me, the Liturgy of Holy Thursday, the altar stripped of its linens, its candles extinguished and the tabernacle of the sacramental presence open and empty, has always been a powerful and … Read entire article »
Filed under: Bodhicitta, Buddhism, Christ Dharma, Compassion, Death, Dharma, Emergent Spirituality, Emptiness, Featured, Interreligious Dialogue, non-duality, Order of Compassion, post denominationalism, Spirituality, Wisdom
Holy Week… and the Dhammapada
As followers of the Christ Dharma begin their intensive week of mindfulness training, the contemplative approach to Holy Week, we can all benefit from understanding some of the mythos related to these events, as an opportunity to see how they relate to our own lives. We read in the Dhammapada: “One should not pry into the faults of others, what they’ve done and left undone. Consider instead what you yourself have done and left undone.” (Dhammapada 50) Beyond … Read entire article »
Filed under: Buddhism, Christ Dharma, Compassion, Dharma, Emergent Spirituality, Featured, post denominationalism, Spirituality
Radically Redefined Sovereignty
Because of pressing financial challenges for the Order, this was a particularly difficult weekend, making it necessary to limit some of the traditional observances this week. As a result, I will personally share some of my journal entries as I deeply contemplate the mysteries, meaning and opportunities to expand awareness during this — the height of the Lenten Season. We had sincerely hoped we would have been able to put some of these challenges behind … Read entire article »
Filed under: Christ Dharma, Dharma, Featured, Interreligious Dialogue, Order of Compassion, post denominationalism, Spirituality
Passion Sunday — A Buddhist Perspective
It may be tempting for those of us who do not subscribe to the tenets and doctrines of traditional Christianity to dismiss the entire message and meaning of the Great Lent, and especially what might seem to be a misguided and superstitious belief that the plagiarised Passion Story refers to an historic event in the life of the Great and Anointed Essene Rabbi. Even more tempting, for those of us who do not believe in a God or gods, might be the notion that there is nothing in the mythos for us, even as sacred mythology, because we have no use for theistic or deist notions. In either case, we could be missing an opportunity for personal growth. Today, Christendom observes the start of Holy Week — an annual commemoration of the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Christ Dharma, Compassion, Dharma, Emergent Spirituality, Featured, Interreligious Dialogue, Order of Compassion, Spirituality
Affirming the Path of Compassion & Kindness
It’s been said that you cannot travel the Path, until you become the Path itself. You and I are shaped by our thoughts. Buddha Sakyamuni reminds us, “When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never departs.” He suggested that if we teach one simple set of truths, we would awaken. And that truth is the awareness that a generous hear, kind speech and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity. Follow this path, and you will become the path itself, opening your life to the manifestation of pure and limitless joy. See more at www.youtube.com Be gentle with yourselves, and know that you are appreciated and loved. Namasté khenpo gurudas sunyatananda _____________________________________________ Drawing on the essential teachings of the great spiritual teachers, philosophers and freethinkers throughout time, Khenpo Gurudas … Read entire article »
Filed under: Dharma, Featured, Prosperity
Discussion of the “Secret”
A friend recently engaged others in a somewhat spirited debate about the disparity between those who hawk the new age interpetations of certain Mind-Science teachings and universal laws, such as the peddlers of “The Secret“, with a more rational, reasonable and scientific approach. Now I personally know and have worked with a number of individuals who were involved in that project. I can say that some of them seemed to have very pure and honest motivations. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Compassion, Dharma, Emergent Spirituality, Featured, new thought, Spirituality
On Gods and the People Who Create Them
Phineas Parkhurst Qumiby once noted: “God is the name of the great Wisdom that decides and governs all things through the medium called mind, which becomes the shadow.” Zora Neale Hurston keenly observed that a society’s gods most often behave like the people who created them. I suppose that is why so many irrational, narrow-minded, socially irresponsible and ill-informed (completely gullible) people – you know, the kind who get their news from the Fox Network, never miss … Read entire article »
Filed under: Dharma, Emergent Spirituality, Featured, Interreligious Dialogue, Love, Spirituality
What You Hear in the Dark
A we complete the morning Sadhanas here at Sarvodaya House, there is a sense of stillness and quiet. It’s not yet 6 AM, and there is a gentle rain falling outside. As is my tradition each year during the period of time when followers of the Christ Dharma, particularly in the churches of the apostolic tradition, I sat down to consider what the Dharma message would be for this Fourth Sunday in Lent. For our friends … Read entire article »
Filed under: Christ Dharma, Compassion, Dharma, Diversity, Emergent Spirituality, Featured, Interreligious Dialogue, Science of Spiritual Living
The Akaśic Record – Now Available in Braille!
Ah, the shrill shriek of those who didn’t like my assessment of the new age predators who peddle their imaginary “gift” of being able to read the Akaśic Record this morning, almost drowned out the beautiful song of the birds in the trees surrounding the hermitage! Of course, they don’t understand that I am very protective of “my own”, and when someone I care for is being deceived and taken advantage of, I don’t waste time trying to … Read entire article »
Filed under: Advaita, Dharma, Emergent Spirituality, Emptiness, Featured, Impermanence, Mindfulness, new thought, non-attachment, non-duality, non-suffering, Science of Spiritual Living, Spirituality, Wisdom
Ask the monk… Question about Religion
A student asked, over the weekend, “Could you please speak about how religion figures into the spiritual path, if at all? I understand that you are an atheist, and yet you consider yourself to be a disciple of the Christ and a valid successor to the Apostles. Does this mean that you consider yourself to be apostate? What about your considering yourself to be a disciple of the Buddha, and a Buddhist monk, and yet … Read entire article »
Filed under: Advaita, Ask the Monk, Buddhism, Christ Dharma, Dharma, Diversity, Emergent Spirituality, non-duality, Order of Compassion, post denominationalism, Spirituality, Tibetan Buddhism, Two Masters, One Dharma
Transcending appearances
What do we do, when we encounter someone whose behaviours demonstrate a lack of maturity, compassion or balance? This past weekend, there have been some wonderful discussions going on between friends, members of the Sangha and students, concerning this very topic. To the uninitiated or unfamiliar, it might appear to be lacking compassion, when I, as a spiritual teacher and monk, confront ignorance, intolerance, self-pity and other manifestations of fear in a direct, blunt and unequivocal … Read entire article »
Filed under: Buddhism, Compassion, Dharma, Diversity, Featured, Mindfulness, non-duality, Spirituality
The Transfiguration… Beyond the Mythos
Transfiguration. The motif is a common one, often appearing in the wisdom traditions and mystery school mythos. In the Buddhist tradition, we are told that Buddha Sakyamuni was transfigured twice – at the moment of his Enlightenment and when he passed away. In the Judaic tradition, Enoch was transfigured, revealing himself as the angelic Metatron, and Elijah was transfigured to reveal his true nature as the angelic Sandalphon. And in the Christian tradition, we read … Read entire article »
Filed under: Christ Dharma, Dharma, Emergent Spirituality, Emptiness, Featured, Interreligious Dialogue, Spirituality, Two Masters, One Dharma, Wisdom
The Christ Dharma – Lenten reflections from Sarvodaya Ashram
Today, we continue our look at the stories from the Christian tradition, and explore some of the hidden Dharma teachings that can be found during this period of Lenten reflection. Before we begin, it should be noted that when we refer to the Catholic traditions, we do not limit the scope of our discussion to the Roman Catholic Church, but include the Eastern, Oriental, Byzantine, Orthodox, Old Catholic, Mariavite and Gnostic Catholic traditions. Prior to the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Awakening, Bodhicitta, Buddhism, Christ Dharma, Compassion, Dharma, Emergent Spirituality, Featured, Love, Mindfulness, non-duality, Spirituality, Two Masters, One Dharma
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