In this first talk of 2023 at Mountain Cloud, Valerie opens with a dedication of the year to hearing the cries of the world, responding in wisdom and compassion, and realizing the Way of awakening that calls to us moment-to-moment.
She then turns to a new year’s Dharma Hall Discourse by Dogen, “The Advantage of New Years.” Dogen celebrates the newness of the year, the day, and the morning by raising the question, “Is there Buddha Dharma at the beginning of the new year or not?” His response invites us to taste and see the 10,000 blessings of ordinary life – intrinsically one and beyond any calculation.
Image by Melvina Mak The fortune cats at Gotokuji Temple, Tokyo. The story said that once upon a time in Japan, a cat brought good fortune to the temple and the poor monk, who always take care of the cat.