Under a gorgeous pink sunset (similar to the one in this 2006 photo), I completed the longest week of running in my life: 41 miles. Thurs: 11 milesSat: 18 milesTues: 6.6 milesWed: 5.7 milesTotal: 41.3 miles. I wish I could find the photos my sister and I took of ourselves running through the French countryside in January of 1996, just to reminisce a bit on how long I’ve been at this. If someone had told me then that I would... Read more

A monk at Yingshen Pagoda 應身塔, Southern Wutai Mountain 南五台山 (August 5, 2009) A couple years ago in Washington D.C., a man sparked up a conversation with me and a friend while we waited in line. The man looked and sounded as though he had lived a rough life and was still not quite out of the dark. But at one point a clarity came across his face and he held out his hand, palm up, and said, “life is... Read more

“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” -Paul Boese In Buddhism, the two “wings of awakening” are wisdom and compassion. Sometimes we try to separate these , perhaps even seeing them as antagonists. But in fact, as the ‘wings’ imagery suggests, the two must be cultivated together on the path to awakening. One may be – and most people are – stronger on one side or the other, but this serves as no excuse for... Read more

“Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great.” – Mark Twain Jianzhen Library 鑒真圖書館, Yangzhou 揚州 China This post won’t be so much about China or the Chinese people as it is about my fellow Woodenfish in China participants. In short, these were amazing people. For those who have asked me what the highlight of the trip was, “the people” has been the immediate answer. “Squatter” toilets and food poisoning top the list for least-favorite aspects,... Read more

China: Old and New This will be the first in a series of posts about my recent trip to China. Three weeks: the first spent in and around Shanghai (above photo is at Jang’an Temple in the heart of the city), and the next two weeks spent in Xi’an (previously Chang’an), the former capital of China and heart of the early Buddhist transmission to the country. I am quite tired from my travels still, so for now I would like... Read more

More quickly than I ever could have expected, my week in LA has passed. Today I’m off to China. Facebook and/or Twitter may be blocked there, but hopefully blogger and gmail will be up and running, so feel free to comment and email away. I’ll meet up with Jolie, a fellow participant in the program, this morning at LAX, which is great. Then in Shanghai we meet Liza right off the plane. We’ve all noted being a bit nervous for... Read more

dragonfly flits, body iridescent bluerests in bright sun on stem of green hueflags blow gaily in warm summer breezeclouds form and dissipate above ironbark trees — Lee Emmett, from his poem “Atisha Buddhist Center“ Photo from Yogananda’s Self Realization Fellowship center here in LA. Myself and the great Rev. Danny Fisher at University of the West. (photo by Corrine Hinton) Palm trees and a few stars above L.A. from my sister’s apartment in Culver City. Three days in LA. So far, so... Read more

In preparation for my upcoming lecture at UWest (my father gave me lectures a lot, I prefer to think of myself as giving talks…), I’m working on further clarifying the similarities in Buddhist and Kantian Ethics. We can begin with the question of “what?” What do I mean by Buddhist and Kantian Ethics? Since I’m speaking at a Buddhist University and most readers here are well-versed in Buddhism, I can skip the five-minute introduction to Buddhism lesson. It’s old, Indian,... Read more

Two poems by Rengetsu: Moon in the Summer Trees What a delight–Leaves hide my little hutFrom the hot sun by day;At night, moonlightFilters through the trees. Early Summer Breezes Abundant clouds,A few lingering blossoms,Fresh summer mountains,Fragrant green leaves,And gentle cool breezes. photos are from a weekend camping/hiking trip to Lolo Peak with Julie, Blake, and Joe. Read more

While we are never short of excuses for a party in Montana, and indeed the US (two days after the 4th of July), rare it is that we celebrate philosophy. ‘Tis something I should perhaps look into fixing around here… Here’s the full announcement, for those who might be near Angus, Scotland this month: Kant and Reid Reading Party Burn House, Angus, Scotland 27 – 30 July 2009 The aim of our Kant and Reid Reading Party is to bring... Read more