I have been subscribed to Daily Zen for such a long time, perhaps since the start of the century. I joined when I was early in my dharma practice. Back then maybe I meditated here and there, but I was mainly just learning Buddhadharma through reading and listening to the occasional teaching. I joined Daily Zen to support my explorations.

Over time, however, it has become one of the anchors for my practice. The regular arrival of excerpts from such diverse sources of wisdom has served almost as a ritual – my rule has been that when I receive Daily Zen I stop whatever I’m doing to read it. Doing this is an act of grounding.

In the flow of whatever is happening this wisdom arrives and I can connect it to my immediate circumstances. Often the effect is that I’m reminded of how long and successfully buddhadharma has worked. And also I’m reminded of the bigger vision that followers of the way are engaged with and part of. This helps to elevate my view, lifting it back to the always present horizon of truth.

These days my practice is much more advanced, and the grounding magic of Daily Zen still works. As we advance it is even more important that we continue to connect with the essence of wisdom distilled by those who walked before us. Even when we have been familiar with a certain teaching in the past, we read it again and find deeper meanings and new insights that weren’t there for us before.

Undeniably, our global society has entered a period of major transition and this is creating a great deal of uncertainty and anxiety. But buddhadharma has persisted through such transitions before. In fact, often where it plays its most transformative role is in the heart of chaos, by pointing out more directly the truths of interconnectedness, impermanence, and emptiness.

Daily Zen brings to our minds insights about these truths, consistently and beautifully. In times like these, buddhadharma is a harbor, our lived experience is a vessel, and Daily Zen is an anchor.

May all beings be happy, free from suffering, filled with joy and always in contact with the immeasurable beneficence of buddhadharma.

Paul H.