Noksowist, Bear Going Straight, was a Cheyenne, born in the Indian Territory, now western Oklahoma about 1847. His parents were Sleeping Wolf and Wah Nach. Spirituality seems to have been a driving force in his life. He is believed to have been one of maybe the youngest person to complete the sun dance. As a young warrior in the Indian Wars, he participated in several battles, including the Second Battle of Adobe Walls. In 1875, lacking supplies... Read more
I am so glad to be able to announce that I will be giving the Reverend Teshin Matthew Sweger Inka Shomei, the final authorization within the lineage I received from Roshi John Tarrant, at the culmination of a week long sesshin which will be held at the North Carolina Zen Center, on the 22nd of October, 2023. Teshin currently serves as teacher and resident priest of the North... Read more
I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice – oceans of it. I want... Read more
Today, the 28th of August, is pretty busy in the Christian calendar. A lot of people are celebrating today as a feast for Augustine of Hippo, bishop and theologian. He was a lovely writer and his autobiography is rightly noted as a Christian classic. And, for my money he becomes one of the more unfortunate figures in shaping western... Read more
Yesterday, the 26th of August marks a momentous day in US history. Not that you would necessarily know, given the scant attention he received in the press. It was on that day, yesterday, in 1920, that Bainbridge Colby, the then American Secretary of State signed the proclamation enacting the 19th amendment, securing American women the constitutional right to vote. He did so in the privacy of his... Read more
As it happens, today, the 24th of August, back in 1662, the English Parliament enacted an Act of Uniformity, enshrining the then current edition of the Book of Common Prayer as the only appropriate prayer manual within the churches of the kingdom. As a practical consequence the church became a bit less comprehensive than it had been, with an ejection of those clerics who refused to conform. But it also established what happened to be one of the true masterworks of... Read more
As it happens, today, the 23rd of August, in 1335 is the anniversary of the death of Heilwige Bloemardinne, also known as Heilwijch Blomart. Born to wealth in Brussels Heilwige was a popular spiritual teacher and mystic. While throughout her lifetime she was protected, appears to have authored a book, and definitely many pamphlets, we really only know her teachings today through the cracked mirror of a harsh critic, John of Ruysbroeck. While some of... Read more
As it happens it was today, the 16th of August in 1930, that’s 93 years ago today, that Ub Iwerks produced his first theatrical cartoon short since a fight with Walt Disney and leaving employment with Disney studios earlier that year. Featuring his character Flip the Frog, Fiddlesticks was the first cartoon filmed entirely in color. Iwerks is notable for a number of things, probably not least among which was taking a sketch provided by Walt Disney and... Read more
In Japan today, the 15th of August, is marked as a time to celebrate the life of the second founder of Soto Zen in that country, Keizan Jokin. He’s a fascinating figure, one I wish was a bit better known among Zen students in the West. He is, among other things, the author of the best of the ancient Zen meditation manuals. Keizan was born on the 13th of November, 1264 and died on the 22nd of... Read more
Memory is such a tricky thing. I have a memory that some gnostic schools, perhaps it was the Valentinian school, which required potential initiates to compose their own gospel. However, I’m having a little trouble finding the citation. And I notice among the charges of novelty laid against Valentinus was that he composed his own gospel, some speculate it’s the “Gospel of Truth.” And I notice a general... Read more
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