I wake at 5:30, pink streaks in the desert sky, full moon fading to pale. It is my “personal practice day”—my day off! I toast the charcoal in the candle flame, lighting the incense burner for my favourite service—Enmei —a rousing chant dedicated to Avokiteshvara Bodhisattva, perceiver of the cries of the world, whose heart …
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Going offline
The first snowstorm of the year came yesterday, high howling winds, blowing snow, and a power outage. It was no big deal, Upaya stayed warm, and thanks to the gas stoves lunch was served on time. But something very different did happen. For the first time in my three months here, residents drifted into the …
The lady in the chemo hat
I am the jikido (timekeeper) for evening zazen meditation. This duty involves sparking up the candles and incense in the zendo, guiding lost visitors to a cushion, and keeping the time. I strike the heavy, temperamental temple bell to begin the sessions and signal the breaks. At the end of zazen I chime the chubby …
Attachment is the enemy of intimacy
 Scrawled in a toilet stall with a black sharpie: “separation -> anxiety”. That’s it—dukkha in a nutshell. Crave it, grab it, hold it tight and make it yours. Never let it go. But here’s the news: everybody leaves. Everybody dies. Everybody forgets, and everyone is forgotten. Time is fleeting and opportunity is lost. Opportunity isn’t …
Private property
Once when I was a child, I went on a car trip with my parents. We passed through miles and miles of pine forest between Toronto and Montreal. Looking out the window I was mesmerized by the endless, depthless green. I leaned over to the Oldsmobile’s front seat and said “one day i’m going to …