For more than 10 years I have been watching over and increasing my care to my fatherless son. Many years ago when I began to study the Lotus Sutra with my wife I shared a few of those words with him and even though he is Japanese he repeated those words in elementary school and also to an abbott of a temple where I chanted the sutra. One time when my wife visited the temple the abbott heard Rocky speak a few sutra words. The abbott was surprised and smiled. So even today Rocky likes buddhist things like incense, a bell and wooden block. Rocky has a learning disability and…

On that one Sunday in 1983 – While alone staying behind in the kitchen at the old Gold Wheel Monastery – and silently, I prayed the Buddha’s name. Others were upstairs chanting and following after the two Masters, who had completed their pilgrimage of three-step-one-bow. Grand Master Hsuan Hua stepped into the kitchen along with one of his lay-disciple, my friend’s mother, Grandma Julie. Grandma Julie explained that I could not understand Chinese – but, Grand Master smiled. His smile was just like my late Grandpa’s. Grand Master talked and Grandma Julie translated that “Buddha’s language is to be listened to with your eyes and, is to be spoken with…

I love to walk, but not on the busy roads that are full of vehicles moving in all directions, honking and creating a chaos. Every time I don’t have a vehicle and I have to walk I wish I’ll meet someone I know who is going in the same direction and will offer to drop me. When I drive I see a lot of people walking, mostly they are the ladies who work as house help and women (different age) who are on their way to/from the vegetable market. When I see them I feel like, What if like me they too are wishing for someone to come and drop…

Some days back I had went to a shop to buy goods, while returning a person approached me, and asked me for me some financial help. I helped that person with some money with which he could get some comfort. He smiled and thanked me !

I was walking down the street, tryig to concentrate on the sensation on my feet, and I heard unusual psychedelic music, and my concentration got deeper. I could not help myself, gave them all my change and hugged them. Then I ran home a took a box of organic gemaicha tea and gave them to these buskers and chatted with them. I offered them a couch for a night but they traveled to another city.

I just donated some money to a disabled performer on the streets =).

Finding the dharma with mixed cultures and settings to continue to practice in a home life setting.

I baked cakes today and gave them to the cleaners in my building. I chatted with them occasionally and gave them cakes before, so today was really sweet, because they still remember me after some months not seeing one another. They taught me a few things about plants and how they took care of the building. They also have brilliant smiles, even if their work is a lot more physically demanding than mine.

While swimming in our community swimming pool, we discovered a completely naked teenager peeping at us across the gate. Alarmed, my husband decided to approach the man to see what he after. The teenager did not speak at all and seemed lost, shy, and confused. Furthermore, he defecated on the walkway leading to the swimming pool. Instead of calling the police or security guard, my husband determined that the teenager has no intention to harm. He remembered seeing a a car with bumper sticker that said “proud parent of autistic kid”. Making the connection, he decided to lead the young man to the house near the aforementioned parked car. When…

On a chilly rainy day here, I just felt like cooking lentil vegetable soup for the six of us in an office apartment. They are my former colleagues and their spouses, and still good friends a year after I left the company. It was a simple, wholesome vegan meal, and we sat around a warm table while the Californian rain pours outside. Family style. I was very happy during the cooking, meal, and clean-up, as old friends come together to “break bread together”. So simple, so good! Thank you for the prompt and nudge, which put the idea in my mind in the first place!