Monkey Mind

Well, I stayed up as late as I possibly could in order to make it to the ten o'clock (and therefore one o'clock a.m. to my body) gathering of UU Bloggers hosted by Chris Walton & Deborah Weiner. While a pretty low key event, it was a treat gawking at the great and the good among our small band of specialty bloggers. Among this illustrious band I actually saw Chalice Chick and my personal hero Christine Robinson as well as the king of us all, Chris Walton himself! This alone was worth staying … [Read more...]

Just back to the hotel for a breather and to rest my ankle, which has decided to compete with my back for making me feel my age. (The orthopedist suggested it's likely a torn ligament, but won't know for sure 'till I get the MRI, which won't happen 'till I get back to Newton in a couple of weeks...)Without a doubt in my mind the highlight of Minister's Days at General Assembly are the sermonettes given by a representative of those ministers ordained twenty-five years ago and one from those … [Read more...]

Well, it's been an adventure.I flew JetBlue from Boston to New York, then waited for two hours almost, for the connection to Seattle. The plan was, and is, while that's a hundred, sixty miles from Portland, Oregon, where our denominational General Assembly is, it's the perfect place for when our vacation (which begins immediately following GA) ends and we're ready to fly home.Two hours seems a bit longer when sitting in an airport terminal than in other circumstances. But, eventually, as the … [Read more...]

I've noticed how much people are taken with the traditional Zen line "if you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." This is a dangerous, but also, a very important point. I've just been reading The Mirror of Zen by the Korean master So Sahn and I think he explicates the meaning of this term in very helpful ways.The superior person beholds the Buddhas and Patriarchs as if he were spying an enemy. He knows that if, in his search for truth, he becomes attached to the Buddha, he is hindered by the … [Read more...]

Talking about food won't make you full,Babbling of clothes won't keep out the cold.A bowl of rice is what fills the belly;It takes a suit of clothing to make you warm.And yet, without stopping to consider this,You complain that Buddha is hard to find.Turn your mind within! There he is! There she is!Why look for him, why look for her abroad?Han Shan (very slightly adapted from Burton Watson's translation) … [Read more...]

sometimes the good guys win...(Boston - June 14, 2007) A statement from Rev. William Sinkford President, Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations "Today's decision by Massachusetts lawmakers to defeat the marriage amendment is a cause for great rejoicing. On behalf of the Unitarian Universalist Association, I want to thank the legislators who did the right thing by preserving the Massachusetts Constitution and keeping our marriage laws free from discrimination. This decision makes a … [Read more...]

Well, Jan & I drove down to Riverside station, the very last spot on the Green "D" Line of the MBTA ("And he never returned. No, he never returned...") We parked, paid our three dollar and seventy five cent parking fee, only to learn the train is off line for construction. So, already committed by our three dollar and seventy five cent investment, we piled onto a bus and followed a track the bus driver, obviously an old hand but also obviously driving this route for the first time, gradually … [Read more...]

Dear Diary, Jan is drying her hair and soon we'll be taking the train into Boston for the annual Gay Pride parade. The First Unitarian Society in Newton always has a presence, and is usually padded out with a few members of the Boundless Way Zen crowd. It is gratifying to hear that Duval Patrick will be the first sitting governor of the Commonwealth to join in the parade. As we're coming on the Constitutional Convention that will decide whether marriage rights will go on the ballot here, it is a … [Read more...]

Why I am a Unitarian UniversalistWhy I am a Unitarian Universalist Part Two Bringing Our History to Life (a promo) … [Read more...]

Monks on Ice Full Circle How to Practice Zen Meditation … [Read more...]