In “Coming and Going” Rev. Clairissa considers the teaching offered by all that comes and goes in life, inseparable from That Which Is. She considers how, in realizing fully that all that arises passes away, our grief itself may help us to open to our own True Nature and that of all existence. In the…

In “What is a kōan?” Rev. Clairissa clarifies the gift of the arising of the kōan, the spiritual question that each of us carries through life, and reflects on how we train with the kōan in Sōtō Zen practice. She relates a kōan story from Dōgen, in which a monk and Zen master explore the…

During this week’s extreme heat wave, Rev. Clairissa explores the teaching of Great Master Tōzan Ryōkai on finding the place beyond heat or cold, in “Give Yourself Up.”  Tōzan Ryōkai (in Chinese: Dongshan Liangjie, 807-869) was the founder of the Caodong Chan way of practice in China, later known as Sōtō Zen when brought by…

Rev. Clairissa explores the deeper meaning of this word, “Serenity.” She looks at the idea of stillness, at how we seek peace of heart, and at how all may come to know true Serenity within the conditions of everyday life. To view the 1989 archive documentary video mentioned in the talk, here is its link…

Rev. Clairissa digs a little deeper into the meaning of the well-known saying “Chop Wood, Carry Water,” which is attributed to the eighth-century Chinese Zen Buddhist practitioner Layman Pang (740-808), in a poem he composed and recited for a master in our ancestral lineage. She looks at how a willingness to roll up our sleeves…

In “Think Deeply,” Rev. Clairissa considers the opportunity open to us for reflection when we take up the practice of reciting the Five Thoughts of the mealtime verse each time we eat, especially how the first thought (on thinking deeply of the ways and means by which the food has come) reminds us of our…

We are near the time of Wesak, the yearly celebration which honors the birth, enlightenment, teaching and death of the historical Buddha. Rev. Clairissa offers a perspective on the life story of Prince Siddhartha Gautama and those close to him. In the telling, she gently beckons us to consider what the example of their lives…

On this Memorial Day weekend, Rev. Clairissa invites us to reflect on the offering we may receive through remembrance of those who have gone before us, and what we in turn may offer in the living of our lives. In “Remembrance” she refers to Adoration of the Buddha’s Relics, a daily scripture also often recited…

How may I come to know the peace and strength of will to meet whatever arise, and live with a heart free of fear? On this May day when rain has softly soaked the earth, Rev. Clairissa reflects on the opening lines of our evening office scripture to Kanzeon, The Litany of the Great Compassionate…

In “Beyond Heaven”Rev. Clairissa considers the importance of remembering what matters whatever the conditions, even when we find ourselves caught up in the heavenly world of fleeting pleasures, as can happen in the realm of the devas (heavenly beings), in the Buddhist teaching on the Six Worlds.  She refers to the teaching of Great Master…