Alex Kakuyo's Blog, page 3

Only Two Things Matter in Life (Dharma Talk)

I explore the age-old question, "How Should I Spend My Time?" and discuss the two most important items on everyone's to-do list.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

If you enjoyed this Dharma talk, you'll love my books!

Will You Choose Enlightenment (Dharma Talk)

In this Dharma talk, I discuss Bodhi Day celebrations and the story of Buddha's enlightenment.  More specifically, I discuss the primary lesson we should take from his journey to liberation, and how it can influence our own practice.                                                                                                                    

If you enjoyed this Dharma talk, you'll love my books!

Society is a Shared Hallucination (Dharma Talk)

In this Dharma talk, I discuss a teaching from Vasubandhu's "Treatise on the Three Natures".  I use his description of reality to explain how societies are created, and the circumstances under which we should opt-out of societal norms.                                                                                                                                        

If you enjoyed this Dharma talk, you'll love my books!

Celebrating A Buddhist Thanksgiving (Dharma Talk)

In this Dharma talk, I read a passage from the Ornament of Realization Sutra and discuss how it relates to Thanksgiving. In the end, I show how traditional Thanksgiving practices like sharing food and spending time with family help us cultivate the wholesome Dharmas of generosity and gratitude.

If you enjoyed this Dharma talk, you'll love my books!

Life is Suffering (Dharma Talk)

In this Dharma talk, I discuss Buddhism's first noble truth, "Life is Suffering." At first, this teaching may seem morbid and nihilistic.  However, when we look deeper, we find that the first noble truth serves to change our perspective; giving us an "enlightened pessimism" that protects us from suffering.

If you enjoyed this Dharma talk, you'll love my books!

Buddhism is Being a Good Neighbor

 My community is sitting under three feet of snow, at the moment, and we get a few more inches every day. So, I've been doing many of the jobs that one associates with winter snowstorms; insulating the chicken coop, putting salt down on the porch steps, and shoveling the driveway.

Today, I happened to see my neighbor shoveling her own driveway, so I grabbed my shovel and walked over to help. With the two of us working it didn't take long to get the snow cleared, and we had a pleasant conversation...

Flying Through the Window

A few days ago I was sitting in the kitchen, eating breakfast when I heard panicked chirping along with an occasional thud coming from the upstairs bedroom in my home.

Confused, I went to see what was happening and there was a brown blur flying through the air.  Eventually, the blur landed in a corner of the room, and I saw that it was a sparrow.  

I'd left the window open earlier in the day to let in some fresh air, and the poor fellow much have flown inside.  We stared at each other for a moment...

Learning to Take Refuge

We have three cats that live on the homestead.  There's Sam, a black and white tuxedo.  There is Finn, a white albino.  And there is Enso, a gray tabby.  

The first two, Sam and Finn, are house cats to their core.  They'll sit and look out the window on nice days, but they have zero interest in trying to venture outside.

Enso, however, is another story.  During the spring and summer, he comes inside just long enough to eat, then he runs back outside to explore the woods that surround our property....

Dealing with Life's Manure

As a homesteader, I spend a lot of time dealing with manure.  I clean it out of the cat's litter boxes.  I step in it each time I feed the chickens.  And I collect it from our two rabbits, Belladonna and Oleander.  
That last part might be surprising to some people.   It's not often that people talk about growing their poop collection, but it makes sense in the context of gardening.
Simply put, soil is a living thing.  And the wise gardener feeds it lots of yummy foods.  Because nothing grows in h...

Moving Beyond Life and Death

It’s harvest season here on the homestead. And the earth has been generous with its bounty. We’re approaching 200 pounds of vegetables; harvesting potatoes, beans, carrots, corn, and a variety of other foods.

It’s a wonderful life, but it’s also a strange one. Because the harvest requires me to kill the plants I’ve spent the last few months cultivating.

Corn cobs are snatched from their stalks with a violent, twisting motion. Bean plants break apart as beans are pulled from their vines. And...