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A Year to Live
In Stephen Levine’s beautiful book, he asks us to consider how it might feel if we knew that we only had one year left to live. It’s a book about dying. But it’s also a book about living, finding out what this life really is, and awakening to living in this one present moment. There…
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Tosu’s Thatched Hut
“After his enlightnement under Cuiwei, he roamed throughout China, eventually returning to his old home and settling on Mt. Touzi. There he built a thatched hut and remained obscure for more than thirty years. Touzi’s eminence as a Zen adept could not be concealed, and the great Zhaozhaou came looking for him. There is something…
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Who am I?
In 1886, Austrian physicist and philosopher Ernst Mach sketched a self-portrait that appeared in his book, The Analysis of Sensations. It takes a minute to recognize what is going on in the sketch because it’s not what you think. It’s not the usual self-portrait. The question, “Who am I?” is a very important question. For…
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I learned a lot on that job
I always liked the way he looked. He was the big boss on the job site. He only spoke to me once or twice. But I remember how he seemed so put together, and it surprised me because it was such heavy work and everyone was dusty and dirty. But his blue jeans fit him…
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My friend Richard
Tuesday, March 17, 2026 Camden, Maine I’ve been meaning to record a video teisho on this subject. It has been on my mind to record a video for our Dharma Study group for some time. But time keeps slipping away, and I am not getting to the video. So I will write this instead. My…
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Houston and the Authentic Voice
In the 70’s, Houston was a boomtown. That’s why my family moved there. We moved in the summer before my sixth grade. Maybe nobody cares about this. But I care about it. It’s a story that I remember. So, I’m just telling stories here. That’s what much of our thinking is, isn’t it? Our thoughts…
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Chasing Illusion
Many years ago, when I first began Buddhist studies, I read a book by Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, edited by Laura M. Roth and translated by Ngodup Burkhar and Chojor Radha called Dharma Paths. It was published in 1992 by Snow Lion. Khenpo Karthar’s book was formative for me. I read it sometime around 1993, when…
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The Dragon
I was standing by the kitchen counter talking on the phone. It was one of those old phones, you know, the kind that was attached to the wall. It was our kitchen phone. It had a long cord so you could walk around with it. I was talking on the phone to a man in…
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Writing as meditation
Words are only words. And each word is constructed from letters. Fingers type letters into a keyboard. What is this? How amazing that this happens! I suppose there are people who read these posts. I wonder why. Do they read these posts and “like” them because they are hoping that I will see the “like”…
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Snow Day
Today is a snow day. I want to write something. When I press the return button, I get a new line. And a new paragraph. This Word Press site does not type like a typewriter. It’s more like building a websit. Do I really want to continue using this? I have not written anything new…
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Practice Notes
Limiting Your Activity In Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, Shunryu Suzuki writes: You may think that if there is no purpose or no goal in our practice, we will not know what to do. But there is a way. The way to practice without having any goal is to limit your activity, or to be…
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Rose of Sharon
She is my Rose of Sharon She is my rose, The Rose of Sharon is Shari. On sun through trees evenings, Or sometimes afternoons, We walk the route you found, Your favorite. Going together up the long climb, and then down again, turning left at the cemetery where the moss-covered stones are our friends past…
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Emptiness and Bliss
When they pull the sheet upover you,When the sound of your voiceis onlyan echo in vast silence, will I break? Will waves still wash overrocks and sand?over the smooth rocks,the glacial remains in the covewhere we sat and watchedan eagle fishing,diving down to catch, then lift,the silver scalesflashing against blue sky. Emptiness and bliss, the…
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Meditation is a Natural Progression
The path of meditation leads from a condition of suffering to freedom from suffering. This path is a natural progression that happens by itself, of its own accord, once a person decides to embark on this particular journey. This journey occurs simply and naturally, step by step. The insights happen, one by one. They will…
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Tilopa’s Song to Naropa, Part 5
This is Part 5 in a series of commentaries on the text “Tilopa’s Song to Naropa,” or, as it is sometimes called, “The Song of Mahamudra.” I am going through the text and commenting on selected paragraphs. To read the entire text, and all my preceding commentaries, please go to my home page and look…
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Ed Gabrielsen 