Serene Reflections: From the Heart That Seeks the Way Wallowa Buddhist Temple

The Serene Reflections Podcast is a series of Dharma Talks from the Wallowa Buddhist Temple in the mountains of Northeast Oregon in the United States. Reverend Clairissa Beattie, a Zen Buddhist monk and priest, invites you to join in listening from your own place of stillness, from the Heart That Seeks the Way.Each talk lasts about half an hour or less. Settling down to hear these clear and quiet teachings through the gateway of the ear may serve as a general introduction to Chan or Zen Buddh...

On this final weekend in July, Rev. Clairissa offers “Full Creek, Tall Grass, Bright Sun.” She comments on teachings gleaned over these last five weeks of exploring together the Buddha’s Eightfold Path. She opens to the teaching offered to us by the summer itself in its glorious expression of life – in the roaring high waters, growing grasses, and bright sunlight illuminating all.

Rev. Clairissa completes her series of reflections on the four Bodhisattva Vows with the fourth and final vow, which reads “However infinite the Buddha’s Truth is, I vow to realize it.” Exploring the connection between the four Bodhisattva Vows and the Buddha’s Four Noble Truths, her reflections illuminate both sets of four in the process. For those who are just encountering the Buddha’s teaching as well as for those who have been walking the path for some time, she offers clarification on ou...

Rev. Clairissa continues to contemplate the teaching of the Bodhisattva Vows, this time referring to the third of the four Bodhisattva Vows. She considers the various meanings of the term “Dharma” which is so central to Buddhism, and the importance of our willingness to continue opening to the teaching as it unfolds throughout a lifetime of spiritual practice. The Bodhisattva Vows express our true heart’s intention to help beings, especially through the offering of our inner spiritual work. I...

Rev. Clairissa discusses a Buddhist approach to the arising of strong emotions in response to events in the world and in the world inside of us. She refers to the second of the Bodhisattva Vows. These four vows are the expression of the wish to help all beings. In our tradition of Sōtō Zen, they are part of our regular Renewal of Vows ceremony, and are read as follows:However innumerable beings may be, I vow to save them all,However inexhaustible the passions may be, I vow to transform t...

Contemplating the Kesa verse, Rev. Clairissa offers reflections on our natural pure intention, the wish to help all beings. The Kesa is the monk’s robe which symbolizes the Buddhist Precepts, our vow to cease from harm, to do only good, to do good for others. The Kesa verse is recited daily in a Sōtō Zen temple when putting on the Kesa at the start of day, and also at home by lay Buddhists when meditating in the morning. This small ceremony is the daily renewal of our vow to follow the Buddha...