I was talking with a friend about the mistakes we sometimes make in Zen, and I recalled something on the subject I’d read in the Three Pillars of Zen. When I found it I saw it was actually a reflection on Guifeng Zongmi’s (called Keiho Zenji for Great Master Keiho Shumitsu in the book) classification of five styles of Zen, contained in some lectures by Hakuun Yasutani Roshi. And in fact it isn’t five mistakes in Zen, but rather five... Read more

And who doesn’t, from time to time? It was on this day in 1933 that the film opened at Radio City Music Hall in New York City… Read more

The wonderful Theodor Seuss Geisel, Dr Seuss, was born on this day in 1904. Cause for celebration all by itself, but also, the National Education Association has designated his birthday as Read Across America day. So, get on it! Read a book. Or, better yet, Help a child read a book. Or, if you can’t do that, At least Make some green eggs & ham… Read more

HEAVEN AND HELL A Love Story 1 March 2015 James Ishmael Ford First Unitarian Church Providence, Rhode Island Text One day while walking quietly together, out of the silence the Buddha’s attendant Ananda declared, “Teacher, to have companions and comrades on the great way is so amazing! I have come to realize that friendship is fully half of an authentic spiritual life.” They proceeded along quietly for a while more, before out of that silence the Holy One responded. “No,... Read more

One day while walking quietly together, out of the silence the Buddha’s attendant Ananda declared, “Teacher, to have companions and comrades on the great way is so amazing! I have come to realize that friendship is fully half of an authentic spiritual life.” They proceeded along quietly for a while more, before out of that silence the Holy One responded. “No, dear one. Without companions and comrades, no one can live into the deep, finding the true harmonies of life,... Read more

In the wake of noted actor Leonard Nimoy’s death, people may have missed that the Reverend Canon Malcolm Boyd has also died. An Episcopal priest, he first gained public attention in the nineteen sixties as the “espresso priest” named for his participation in San Francisco’s poetic scene, frequently giving readings at the Hungry I, and later for his book “Are You Running With Me, Jesus?” He was an activist, particularly focused on the Civil Rights movement. There’s a small intersection... Read more

George Herbert, Anglican priest, and Metaphysical poet, died on the first of March in 1633. He was only thirty-nine. Today the Anglican church honors him with a feast. He deserves it. I’ve been told the Simone Weil had an ecstatic experience on hearing his poem Love. I’m pretty sure it must be true… Read more

So far I’m finding the aches and pains that accompany aging are more annoying than anything else. And then. I’m trying to decide which is more disconcerting. We get AARP magazine at home. The latest issue just arrived. That it is addressed to my wife, who is three years younger than me. Or, that the cover story features Bob Dylan. I was aware it was coming. But. We all know we’re going to die, too. But Bob Dylan on the... Read more

Once again those lovely Episcopalians have come through. On this day in their liturgical calendar they celebrate the life and work of Frederick Douglass. While I prefer to acknowledge special and holy people on their birthdays the Christian liturgical calendar in all its variations tends to celebrate their lives on the anniversary of their deaths, the time they go to their glory. And I admit as a marker of the totality of their lives it works just fine… Also for... Read more

It almost slipped by me. One of my favorite not exactly religious holidays, the day before my liturgically minded Christian friends go into their long “fast.” (Scare quotes because, hey, its not really a fast, is it?) I don’t really know how old this event is, but I suspect it dates from about five minutes after the inauguration of Ash Wednesday… In any case, enjoy, friends. Enjoy… Read more