Beyond Measure Meets a Fox Anaheim Zen Sangha Empty Moon Zen Network James Myoun Ford Once upon a time, long ago and far away, there was a nun. After she left her master’s community and wandered for a time meeting other teachers of the intimate way, she settled at the ruin of a monastery nestled on the side of a mountain. There she practiced the disciplines of silence and presence. She meditated every day, worked hard tending gardens and... Read more
The wondrous Walt Whitman was born was born on the 31st of May, 1819, two hundred years ago today. An American Daoist Sage before anyone heard the phrase, an American Zen Master before anyone knew the word… “This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue... Read more
Not long ago in an email exchange with the Rinzai teacher Meido Moore he told me that he was working on a new book focused on some Rinzai disciplines historically only transmitted orally, mostly focused on energy cultivation and “direct pointing practices.” Perhaps just because that’s the way my brain works, it made me think of that part of the koan collected in the Gateless Gate as case 23, “Think Neither Good Nor Evil.” It features a dialog... Read more
As it happens today is both our American Memorial Day and Julia Ward Howe’s birthday. Here’s something I wrote about the remarkable Ms Howe a few years back. Tweaked ever so lightly. It covers a bit of who she was, her religion, her politics. Feels like it might be worth a read today… JULIA & SAMUEL A Meditation on Liberal Religion in an Age of Crisis James Ishmael Ford 19 October 2014 First Unitarian Church Providence,... Read more
The wondrous Margaret Fuller was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on this day, the 23rd of May, in 1810. Fuller was an author, editor, journalist and literary critic, an educator, a first-wave feminist, and one of the leading lights of the Transcendentalist movement. Her accomplishments included a litany of firsts. Fuller was the first woman, who while not allowed to pursue a degree, was allowed to research in Harvard’s library. And she put that access to good use, her... Read more
American politician, San Francisco City Supervisor, and civil rights activist, Harvey Milk was born on this day in 1930. I note this annually. It’s important. He would have been eighty-nine today. However, in 1978 he was assassinated together with San Francisco Mayor George Moscone. The reasons were complicated. Although the precipitating event was because the murderer had resigned his position as a Supervisor and realized Harvey and George had blocked his attempt at returning. But in fact... Read more
Me, I love saints. There are a ton of saints in the Roman & Orthodox calendars. Originally, in their corner of the Reformation, the Anglicans stripped their calendar down dramatically. Although they’ve been enriching it in very interesting ways over the last couple of hundred years. Saints, well, they have a way of popping up in the oddest of places. Today marks the celebration of a prime example. One, I have to admit, I find very interesting. ‘Tis the feast... Read more
IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD, AND ONE OF ANOTHER A Meditation on Covenant as Spiritual Practice Among Unitarian Universalist Congregations James Ishmael Ford Delivered at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Anaheim 19 May 2019 Text … In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are under-written, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, etc. Having undertaken, for the glory of... Read more
Enlightenment, Endarkenment, Zen James Myoun Ford Anaheim Zen Sangha When buddhas don’t appear And their followers are gone, The wisdom of awakening Bursts forth by itself. Nagarjuna, Verses from the Center, translated by Stephen Batchelor It was sometime in 1969. Okay, maybe 1970. It was a long time ago, and I could just say once upon a time. Once upon a time, long ago, and far away… I had been living in a Zen monastery in Oakland, California for a... Read more
One of the minor interesting things about forming our Anaheim Zen Sangha at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Anaheim is that we are very, very close to Disneyland. And as happens when one notices something like say people walking down the street with mouse ears, all of a sudden one sees mouse ears everywhere. So, along with mouse ears everywhere, perhaps not surprising it turns out today, the 15th of May, in 1928, Walt... Read more
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