Furnace Mountain Zen Center
  • Home
    • about
    • contact
    • affiliated Centers
    • newsletter
    • confidentiality, privacy & concerns
  • practice options
    • online practice >
      • daily morning practice
      • intro to zen meditation
      • day-long retreats
    • in-person practice >
      • in-person schedule 2023
      • general retreat information
      • registration and suggested donations
      • weekend-retreat
      • week-long retreat
      • month-long retreat
      • beginner day
      • solo retreat
  • Our Teachers
    • founding & guiding teacher >
      • Zen Master Dae Gak
    • zen masters >
      • Daniela Herzog - Muhanshim, Zen Master
      • Curt Steinmetz - Chong Sae Do, Zen Master
    • active teachers >
      • Erica McLuckie - Kosen Soen Sa
      • Craig Learned - Dae Mun Soen Sa
      • Mark Davis - Myo Wol Soen Sa
      • Bob Kohl - Dae Do Soen Sa
      • Cara Geary - Jun Je Soen Sa
      • Halcyon Learned - Yong Song Soen Sa
      • Craig Carver - Chong Do Soen Sa
  • donations & support
  • Picture Gallery
    • seasons at FMZC >
      • spring
      • summer
      • fall
      • winter
    • meditation hall
    • ZM Dae Gak
    • meals & oryoki

newsletter...

A warm cup of tea...

12/23/2016

1 Comment

 
Picture
Sitting the December retreat was a young man from Louisville. He was staying in the Lodge with a few others. At midnight the young man heard someone in the foyer calling, "Hello".

It was a very drunk stranger in his mid 50’s, cold and wet to the bone.  It was raining and freezing out.  The young man invited him in, gave him a hot cup of tea, dried his clothes in the dryer while the stranger sat wrapped in a blanket. The young man then woke another person who had a car, called the stranger's sister and then drove him up the hill to where he was staying. The man was astonished at how helpful the retreatant was, asking, “Why are you being so nice to me?”  
 
I wondered, "In the same situation, would I have been as compassionate as this young man?"

 
The only view that truly works for a dharma practitioner is that there are no solutions
to the sufferings of samsara and it cannot be fixed. ~  Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoch
e
 
Can we respond in a moment to someone in need even if it seems scary or unsafe or impossible?
 
All the sufferings of Samsara solved in a warm cup of tea on a cold rainy night. 

Love and happy holidays to you all,
Zen Master Dae Gak and the Furnace Mountain Community


1 Comment
<<Previous

    Archives

    May 2023
    March 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    January 2020
    August 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    December 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed






 design by myozen © COPYRIGHT 2016 - 2026. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
    • about
    • contact
    • affiliated Centers
    • newsletter
    • confidentiality, privacy & concerns
  • practice options
    • online practice >
      • daily morning practice
      • intro to zen meditation
      • day-long retreats
    • in-person practice >
      • in-person schedule 2023
      • general retreat information
      • registration and suggested donations
      • weekend-retreat
      • week-long retreat
      • month-long retreat
      • beginner day
      • solo retreat
  • Our Teachers
    • founding & guiding teacher >
      • Zen Master Dae Gak
    • zen masters >
      • Daniela Herzog - Muhanshim, Zen Master
      • Curt Steinmetz - Chong Sae Do, Zen Master
    • active teachers >
      • Erica McLuckie - Kosen Soen Sa
      • Craig Learned - Dae Mun Soen Sa
      • Mark Davis - Myo Wol Soen Sa
      • Bob Kohl - Dae Do Soen Sa
      • Cara Geary - Jun Je Soen Sa
      • Halcyon Learned - Yong Song Soen Sa
      • Craig Carver - Chong Do Soen Sa
  • donations & support
  • Picture Gallery
    • seasons at FMZC >
      • spring
      • summer
      • fall
      • winter
    • meditation hall
    • ZM Dae Gak
    • meals & oryoki