This coming Thursday evening, the 4th of February, at 7pm, at the Pacific Unitarian Church in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, our forming Blue Cliff Zen Sangha will bring Boundless Way Zen to the Los Angeles/Long Beach area. Pacific Unitarian Church, 5621 Montemalaga Dr, Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274 This evening we will start a monthly informal sit and dharma talk at the church, it will feature a talk by me on the subject Why Zen? Then next Tuesday, the 9th... Read more

WHAT WOULD THEODORE PARKER DO? A Meditation on Theodore Parker and the Call of Liberal Religion as a Compass in Hard Times James Ishmael Ford 31 January 2016 Pacific Unitarian Church Rancho Palos Verdes, California The compromise of 1850 was meant to dampen the smoldering tensions between free states and slave, and, I guess, in the narrowest of senses it was successful. At least in that it pushed the final and it seems inevitably bloody ending to that terrible sin... Read more

Leonard Cohen’s Zen life is one of constant interest to many. Here are a couple of interesting clips that explore aspects by and about. Read more

On this day in 1948 Mohandas Gandhi, known throughout the world as the great heart was assassinated. He hoped he would die with God’s name on his lips. In that he succeeded. Of course there’s much more that could be said. He has been praised. Wildly. He has been condemned. For instance I’ve seen some Facebook postings of late that make allegations of sexual improprieties. Lots of people have problems with how he engaged politics, and that he made political... Read more

The one hundred and fourteenth gathering of the Fraters of the Wayside Inn has ended. I’ve attended the last dozen, two as a guest, and ten as a frater. And for reasons that have always were unclear, I’ve found it an important moment. This time I think I found out why. The gathering started as a pre-lenten retreat for local Universalist clergy who gathered at the famed Longfellow’s Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts. At the time of the consolidation of... Read more

The other day as I walked out of the bathroom in room 9 at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts, and saw a cat dash past a chair into the far corner of the room. My second thought was “I don’t ever recall seeing a cat here at the Inn. However, we’re in a rural area, and that might not be a cat.” I walked over to the corner, and saw there was actually no way for an animal to... Read more

(Click on the image to see the whole thing) I found it on the web. Wasn’t sure of the source, although I believe it is a simplified black and white version of “Art’s Buddhist Cheat Sheet.” It is a pretty good summary of the principal tenants of Theravada Buddhism, although many of the terms could be translated others ways, and nearly all need unpacking. Now that I think of it this list probably could be titled critical terms in Buddhism... Read more

It was on this day in 1808 that the Governor of the crown colony of New South Wales, William Bligh of the Mutiny on the Bounty fame, or, perhaps infamy was for the second time in his life overthrown by a mutiny. It seems the man could not make or keep friends. Good sailer, though. Read more

Jan was just telling me about this wonderful song by Lori McKenna & particularly Tim McGraw’s cover. Wise words. I’m grateful… Read more

Almost missed this. Walter Frederick Morrison, Fred to his friends, was born on this day in 1920. The story goes that he came up with the idea in 1937 while throwing a popcorn can lid. Then he tried cake pans. Finally in 1947 he designed a plastic disc, originally called the Flyin-Saucer. Then the Pluto Platter. Wham-O entered the picture and the now called Frisbee became a cultural icon. And a lot of fun… Read more