Recorded January 4, 2025

For the first teisho of 2025 — and its challenges — Roshi Rafe Martin offers a vision of Buddhist insight/outlook and behavior, by looking at the Buddhist jataka tales (past life stories of the Buddha) and their deep import for us today. In these stories equal attention is given to the needs and aspirations of all living things, not just human beings.  The tales, taken as a whole, offer a doorway into a primary realm of the imagination, which connects all life. 

The source of this teisho is an article Roshi Martin originally wrote as the final chapter for the 1999, Completely Revised and Expanded Edition of his book, The Hungry Tigress: Buddhist Myths, Legends, and Jataka Tales (Yellowmoon Press) and includes his interviews with noted Buddhist teachers and writers, (including both Aitken Roshi and Kapleau Roshi) on their favorite jataka tale, and why they were drawn to that particular story. An inspiring teisho for the New Year!

Referenced in this talk:

• The Hungry Tigress. Rafe Martin. Complete Revised and Expanded Edition. 1999. Yellowmoon Press
• The Outermost House by Henry Beston.
• Young Men and Fire by Norman McLean
• De Profundis by Oscar Wilde

• Books by Roshi Rafe Martin
• Talks on YouTube
• More information at endlesspathzen.org