Buddhism

Sitting Under the Bodhi Tree

From Miraculous Birth to The Buddha's Enlightenment.
Our story moves into its final act when the Great Bodhisattva, having now abandoned the ascetic life, makes his seat under the Tree of Awakening. It is a time of great challenges where the power of the Buddha-Heart can be realised.

Just Look At The Place Where Your Own Feet Stand!

Stories from the life of Zen Master Daiyu Myokyo
Underneath our distractions is a desire to avoid an unpleasant truth, underneath that desire is fear! Plus: "The Heart rolls with the 10,000 things, this rolling is truly mysterious!"

Two Teachers, Two Lineages

From Miraculous Birth to the Buddha's Enlightenment
The pre-training of the Great Bodhisattva is an important lesson for practitioners not to to just make up a personal practice. The Wisdom of tradition is the cumulative experience of those who go before us and helps make the training a more 'rounded' experience.

The Liberation of Having No Options

Stories from the life of Zen Master Daiyu Myokyo
A lack of freedom can be liberating when it comes to spiritual training.

The Great Renunciation

From Miraculous Birth to The Buddha's Enlightenment
A husband and father leaves in the dead of night, abandoning his family and his responsibilities. The Great Renunciation is a problematic part of the Buddha's life-story, it is only the Great Vow of Compassion that he took to return to share his discovery of the cause of suffering that gives it meaning. 

The Story of Eno Daikan (Huineng)

Part I - Introduction
Eno Daikan is seen as next in importance after the traditional founder of Zen, Bodhidharma. He is closely connected with The Diamond Sutra and the teaching of prajñaparamita. His collected sermons form The Platform Sutra a rare accolade for teachings that do not represent the direct teachings of the Buddha.
Series

Stories of the Zen Masters

The Zen masters embody Zen practice. Their stories show the Wisdom-of-the-Heart in practice as well as the struggles to attain Enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.

"Something Will Have to Give Way"

Stories from the life of Zen Master Daiyu Myokyo
Myokyo-ni always said that a spiritual training that did not involve the emotional household would effect no lasting transformation. We continue our series of life-stories that illustrate this point

Four Fateful Trips Beyond the Palace

From Miraculous Birth to the Buddha's Enlightenment
The bubble of security bursts for Prince Gautama when he leaves the palace on four trips. Suffering is often the way into the spiritual life once we realise that we have been living in blind ignorance of the truth. This trauma can cast us into despair or set us upon a new path.

Life in the Palace - From Miraculous Birth to the Buddha's Enlightenment

Childhood - the 'age of innocence' - is a protected period where our identity is formed. But sooner or later this bubble is ruptured, an event that can arise due to the inner prompting of the Heart's own nature.
Series

Stories from the Life of Master Daiyu Myokyo (Myokyo-ni)

A collection of teaching stories from the life of a contemporary
Daiyu Myokyo Zenji (1921-2007) was born in Austria, moved to the U.K. and then trained in Daitokuji monastery in Kyoto from 1960-72. She received inka from Kannun Sojun Roshi, returned to the U.K. and spent the rest of her life teaching the Zen Way. She often used anecdotes from her own life to illustrate her

Everything Teaches Zen

Stories from the life of Zen Master Daiyu Myokyo (Myokyo-ni)
Myokyo-ni said that she had several 'Zen' teachers in her life before her formal training began in Japan. If we are open-minded then the world itself can point the way.
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BUDDHA
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THE WAY OF DEVOTION
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