Roshi Robert Althouse

First of the Four Dignities embodied by a spiritual warrior.

Second of Four Dignities embodied by spiritual warrior

Third of Four Dignities embodied by spiritual warrior

Four of Four Dignities embodied by spiritual warrior

The sacred-world is not found in a bland oneness or abstract non-dualism but in the concrete situations of our lives. When working with the precept on not indulging in anger, Dogen says “There is an ocean of bright clouds; there is an ocean of solemn clouds.” Whatever ocean you find yourself in is the sacred-world you are already living in. Don’t look for it elsewhere. Whatever garden you happen to be in, be there fully, wholeheartedly and there you will find a sacred-world of unimaginable vastness, richness and beauty. May all beings be released from suffering.

The ancient Chinese saw the world as patterns of dynamic movement. It was not a static world of things. Yang and yin made up this movement - this breathing created the fabric of the universe known as “chi” only about 5% being tangible or visible to us. When balanced this movement also created form, known as “organized illumination”.

Our whole economic, political and social system is unsustainable because it's based on limitless growth which is completely counter to the laws of the natural world of which we are a part. We are all experiencing the consequences of this unraveling as increased disruption, chaos and violence. May all beings, all creatures on our planet, old growth forests and coral reefs be well and free from suffering.

MEDICINE BUDDHA SADHANA

Bhagavat, who is compassionate equally to all beings,

The very hearing of whose name pacifies the three lower states,

Medicine Buddha, who eliminates the illnesses of the three poisons,

May there be the goodness of the Vaidurya Light.

May sentient beings, whatever illness they suffer,

Be liberated quickly from those illnesses.

May all the illnesses of beings, without exception,

Forever not arise.

May medicines be effective,

And may the intentions of the recitations of the sacred mantra

path be accomplished.

May demonesses, cannibal demons, and so forth

Attain compassionate mind.

The Primordial Buddha in Vajrayana tradition

In Buddhism, all Tara figures are female embodiments of compassion and prajna paramita. They are considered to be the Mother of All Buddhas. Green Tara is said to offer protection from fear and unfortunate circumstances. As you prepare for the coming new year of 2022, consider allowing Green Tara to guide you through unexpected challenges and obstacles. May all beings be released from suffering.

Akshobhya Buddha

He is known as “The Immovable One”. As the story goes, a monk wanted to reside in the Eastern lands so he vowed to rid himself of all ill will and hatred. He sat in utter stillness until he had freed himself of these defilements and became Akshobhya Buddha. Each of us is called to find this immovable stillness at the heart of existence. Lay down the burden of your own anger and animosity and become the true self you long for.

This Buddha represents the Ratna Buddha Family and is located in the southern direction of the Buddha Family mandala.

This Buddha represents the Karma Buddha family and is located in the north direction of the Buddha Family mandala. I made the background less spacious and in some ways more crowded, as that seems to match the nature of the energy of this family which is very efficient and gets things done, but in the process, creates a level of paranoia because it has less peripheral vision.

My spiritual tradition of Zen teaches that we are all intrinsically awake and compassion is our natural condition. This compassion has great strength and resilience in the face of suffering. It is my sincere vow that you touch this source of love deep within your own heart/mind during this holiday season.

Manjusri - Bodhisattva of Wisdom

Wisdom in my Zen tradition is direct. It's not wisdom about something else. It cuts through confusion. Where meditation is practiced you will find wisdom. Where wisdom is embodied, you will find people practicing meditation. If you already have a regular meditation practice I hope you will trust it. If you don't have a meditation practice, I hope you will consider finding some kind of contemplative practice that helps you to clarify what is most important in your life.

White Tara was said to have arisen out of a tear from the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokitesvara. A female expression of love, she is always present in this moment to hear and receive your pain. If this holiday season is proving to be difficult and challenging for you, please consider pausing and resting for a moment and allow her loving and peaceful presence to enter your heart-mind. May all beings be released from suffering.

THE INNER HISTORY OF A DAY

by John O'Donohue

No one knew the name of this day;

Born quietly from deepest night,

It hid its face in light,

Demanded nothing for itself,

Opened out to offer each of us

A field of brightness that traveled ahead,

Providing in time, ground to hold our footsteps

And the light of thought to show the way.

The mind of the day draws no attention;

It dwells within the silence with elegance

To create a space for all our words,

Drawing us to listen inward and outward.

We seldom notice how each day is a holy place

Where the eucharist of the ordinary happens,

Transforming our broken fragments

Into an eternal continuity that keeps us.

Somewhere in us a dignity presides

That is more gracious than the smallness

That fuels us with fear and force,

A dignity that trusts the form a day takes.

So at the end of this day, we give thanks

For being betrothed to the unknown

And for the secret work

Through which the mind of the day

And wisdom of the soul become one.

"The steam is living breath. It was water; now it goes up to the sky, becomes a cloud again. These things are sacred . . . We Sioux spend a lot of time thinking about everyday things . . . We see in the world around us many symbols that teach us the meaning of life. We have a saying that the white man sees so little, he must see with only one eye. We see a lot that you no longer notice. You could notice if you wanted to, but you are usually too busy."

– Lame Deer: Seeker of Visions by Richard Erdoes and John Lame Deer

Mountain Home

"Vast and majestic, mountains embrace your shadow;

broad and deep, rivers harbor your voice."

T'ao Ch'ien

"If you're climbing Cold Mountain Way,

Cold Mountain Road grows inexhaustible:

long canyons opening across fields of talus,

broad creeks tumbling down mists of grass.

Moss is impossibly slick even without rain,

but this far up, pines need no wind to sing.

Who can leave the world's tangles behind

and sit with me among these white clouds?

Han Shan

"Our lives are but moments strung together, like water flowing, merging into greater bodies of water, to the ocean, in endless cycles. Our time is both brief and long. It is our responsibility to remediate environmental destruction and bring vitality and harmony to the watershed and all its inhabitants. Water defines the places we live, supporting our bloodlines and the uncounted brother and sister beings here with us through our profound interconnections."

Diana Hartel from "Watershed Redemption: A Journey in Time on Five U.S. Watersheds" (Winner of the Siskiyou Prize for New Environmental Literature)

Chinese Landscape

www.althouse-art.com

"We did not come into this world. We came out of it, like buds out of branches and butterflies out of cocoons. We are a natural product of this earth, and if we turn out to be intelligent beings, then it can only be because we are fruits of an intelligent earth, which is nourished in turn by an intelligent system of energy."

LYALL WATSON