The journey of a lifetime

Congratulations! Taking refuge in the path is the beginning of a life long journey filled with moments of relief and bouts with doubt. Relief that there is a proven path that can bring an end of suffering. With the litany of practices and subtle obstacles from the ego, the doubt may show up in the how we skillfully go about in the transformative path.

Other Practices

Beyond meditation, the skillful means of Buddhism to transform one’s mind is vast. From loving kindness to tonglen, explore some of the more relevant practices in today’s world.

Applications

As the practice deepens, the fruition of the practice goes beyond the cushion. From our professional life to creative endeavors, the manifestation of wisdom and compassion can permanente in everything we do.

Relationships

It’s not surprising gauging one’s own spiritual progress is challenging endeavor when the ego lurks in the back. Still, besides the inner maturity, the quality of our relationship with friends, family, strangers and coworkers can be a substanical tangible result.

Fruit of Practice

The fruition of practice is rarely some external grandiose manifestation. From the subtle joy of recognizing the precious human experience to the confidence in relating to suffering, the small glimpse into this inner transformation is rarely discussed.

Teachers

Explore this topic.

The role of the teacher is certainly highly debatable subject in Buddhism in the west. With power structures and capitalistic motivation in the mix, it is understandable that the role has been diminished. Still, it’s a subject worthy of exploring when we consider the pace of our spiritual maturation and working with the subtlety of the ego in spiritual practice.

Grace

Rev. Grace Song is a Won Buddhist kyomunim, meaning one devoted to teaching the Won Buddhist dharma. She is the Won Buddhist Studies Department Chair at the Won Institute of Graduate Studies.

Hear her story.

Gareth

Gareth had dynamic career in finances in the corporate world before pivoting to a more meaningful life. He continues be a bridge between his former life as well as interfaith dialogue through his activities. More recently, he has taken a more formal role as a teacher in the Insight Meditation lineage.

Learn more about his journey.

Bruce

Bruce has a history of practice in tibetan and zen practices before committing to the Zen lineage as a monk for a period in his journey. Now a lay teacher in the Salt Lake city, his journey has been full of powerful lessons.

Hear his story.

Mark

Having been both a student and teacher of the Dharma has led to many experiences on both a spiritual and personal level that I feel have helped me to incorporate the Dharma into my " everyday " life.

Hear Mark's story.

Retreats

Although always challenging from a modern lifestyle of not enough time and resources, the container of a retreat to deepen practice has a cornerstone of buddhist practice. To taste the depth of study and meditation that the retreat allows for is experientially tangible return in investment to the practice.

Death

Although not necessary prominent across the different lineages, the teachings around death in Buddhism warrants attention considering how it can impact our way of living in the present and beyond.

Enlightenment

Enlightenment. Nirvana. How does the Buddhist deal with this evolving concept over the course of their journey.

Challenages

For even committed practitioners, there are obstacles that are more subtle as one progresses on the path.

Ngondro

Although considered a ‘foundational’ practice, ngondo is one of those rites of passage in Vajrayana Buddhism. With the challenge of doing this type of practice in the modern context, the engagement of this foundational practice sets the tone of advance practices later in the journey.

Practitioners

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Willy and Kim

My first exposure to Buddhism wasn’t significant. In fact, it was a turn off. A man who claimed to be Buddhist visited our high school and basically told our class his goal was to become a heartless robot. Well, not entirely, but pretty much… There wasn’t any joy.

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Bryn

Besides reading a few books over the years, I was first exposed to Buddhism twenty years ago. I was in a transition period of my life, leaving a relationship and moving to a new town. One of my main goals was to find a spiritual community.

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Linda

Retired Lawyer from Portland, OR. In the fall of 2004, a friend asked me to attend with him and I did. The first time I went, I knew I would return. Not sure I would call that experience knowing this was the path for me; what I knew at that point was that being able to stop talking, to be away from being an “expert”.

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Jude and Emma

I remember seeing Buddhist images on trips to India with my family. Seeing Zen images associated with martial arts, I started when I was 7.

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Jeff

I learned about meditation as a youngster, but it wasn’t until around 2004 that I started going to the Dharma Punx group on Friday nights in SF (the Back of the Bus) and hearing the dharma talks there in a language I could understand and with people that looked like me that I really felt exposed. It became my path when I learned to walk again as a sober man in 2014.

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Alex M

Growing up, my mother would take my brother and I to Chinese Buddhist Temples scattered around the Bay Area on a very sporadic basis. Usually, just a few times a hour, if that. I wouldn’t say that I was introduced to the dharma per se then, but it does have a place in the memories of my childhood as an introduction to traditions and ritual.