NOT KILLING A Consideration of Zen’s First Grave Precept James Ishmael Ford Death and with it, killing is a great conundrum. Half of the conundrum of life and death. The fact of it. And how we engage it. Even, actually, how we think about it. One of the axioms of our Zen way is that everything, including our inner states have consequences. So, going for the hard thing, going toward the heart of the matter, what about death and especially... Read more
Nelson Mandela Raises his Fist: A Meditation on a Zen Koan James Ishmael Ford The Case Zhaozhou Congshen went to a hermit’s cottage. At the entrance he called out, “Anybody in? Anybody in?” The hermit appeared in the doorway and lifted up his fist. Zhaozhou replied, “The water is too shallow for a ship to anchor.” And he left. Later, he went to a hermit’s cottage and at the entrance asked, “Anybody in? Anybody in?” This hermit lifted up his... Read more
ZEN COMMENTS ON AN ANCIENT KOAN Baofu and Changqing Go on a Picnic Blue Cliff Record, Case 23 Ken Ireland (Reprinted with permission from Koan Conversations by my old friend Ken Ireland. Ken is someone to know. Ken began meditation practice in the early 70’s while a Jesuit. Claudio Naranjo introduced him to zazen as well as the Enneagram. He also introduced Ken to Master C.M. Chen, who went to Tibet in 1929. Ken has studied and practiced with both... Read more
(Zen) Buddhism and the Coming Revolution Gary Snyder I first shared this essay four or five years ago. For some of us I think it a timely re-read. For others maybe it can be a useful first read. It was originally published as “Buddhist Anarchism,” in the first of the four issue run of the Journal for the Protection of All Beings. As that first version of the essay was published in 1961 it becomes one of the very first broadsides... Read more
Recalling the Western Zen Master Charlotte Joko Beck Charlotte Joko Beck was born on this day, March 27th, in New Jersey, in 1917. Sadly, I can say little more about her early life. She attended Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and spent some years as a pianist and piano teacher. She married. They had four children. After separating from her husband Charlotte worked at various things, including as a teacher, a secretary, and an administrative assistant at... Read more
Marking the First Publication of the Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon was first published on this day, the 26th of March in 1830, in Palmyra, New York. The Book is one of various sacred texts to be first published here in North America in European languages. There are a number. Isis Unveiled: A Master-Key to the Mysteries of Ancient and Modern Science and Theology, the Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ, Science and Health with... Read more
HELL IN THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION Some Notes for a Larger Reflection on Universalism James Ishmael Ford After creating the Heavens and the Earth, God created a garden east of Eden and populated it with everything that is good to eat and is pleasant to see. The Divine also planted the tree of everlasting life as well as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God then created the man and the woman. And the Divine said to... Read more
Does Paul Quote Jesus? A Quick Look & a Fascinating Observation James Ishmael Ford Someone recently observed in my hearing that Paul never quotes Jesus in his collected and published letters. I was caught by that observation and decided to dig into it. I proceeded to unravel a couple of facts out of the mess of the Christian scriptures. First, the assertion isn’t precisely true. There’s a very interesting quote at 1 Timothy 5:18, where the writer cites “Scripture” but... Read more
Rosie the Riveter as an Icon of Human Possibility In 2017 the US Congress designated today, the 21st of March as National Rosie the Riveter Day. Of course it is now well more than three quarters of a century since the Second World War, even my cohort, the children of those who lived through that time, are beginning to die off. So we’re less and less talking memory, and more and more talking history. But of the... Read more
Recalling Gertrude Patron Saint of Cats Ah, the 17th of March. A day when most of the citizens of the good old US of A discover they’re Irish. Not a terrible thing. Not at all. But there’s an under appreciated saint due to having to share the date with super saint, Patrick. Someone to know. I first became aware of her because of, well, cats. And so, if you’re not familiar with her, and care... Read more
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