Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, Lewis Carrol to the world, died on this day, the 14th of January, 1898, at his sister’s home in Guildford, a small town in Surrey, England. He was two weeks shy of sixty-six. He was born at the All Saints’ vicarage in Cheshire, England, today, the 27th of January, in 1832. His family produced military men and clerics. His great grandfather a bishop in the Church of England, his father... Read more

      A fun factoid. All three of the earliest dateable examples of printing, a piece of paper, a printed book, and a printed book using moveable type are Mahayana Buddhist texts. The oldest existing printed text that is dateable is the Mugujeonggwang, the Great Dharani Sutra, and was printed in Korea somewhere between 704 & 751. The oldest printed book is a copy of the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, the Diamond Sutra found in the Dunhuang library in China, and is dated,... Read more

        I notice that today, the 8th of January, marks the beginning of the American Democratic party in 1828. While the mythic origins of the party are with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison’s Democratic-Republican Party, the actual history is much later. The party was gathered largely through the work of Martin Van Buren focused on Andrew Jackson’s election to the presidency; advancing the interests of slave states, supporting a strong executive, and most of all expansionism. The... Read more

    MIND AND NO MIND A Zen Talk for a New Year Edward Sanshin Oberholtzer Delivered at Empty Moon Zen New Year’s Zazenkai 31 December 2022 The case Damei (Daibai) asked Mazu (Baso), “What is Buddha?” Mazu said, “This very mind is Buddha.” Gateless Gate, Case 30 Sit with that for a moment while I cast my mind back to a January well over a decade ago when I was shuso during what we then called the winter ango... Read more

      Lovely and lyrical and as sharp as a Center of all centers, core of cores, almond self-enclosed and growing sweet – all this universe, to the furthest stars and beyond them, is your flesh, your fruit. Now you feel how nothing clings to you; your vast shell reaches into endless space, and there the rich, thick fluids rise and flow. Illuminated in your infinite peace, A billion stars go spinning through the night, blazing high above your... Read more

        In many Eastern Orthodox circles today, the 26th of December, is the feast of James the Just. Me, I usually mark it out as a particularly special day. Although first I should note how his celebration actually is a movable feast. Catholics usually mark his life and ministry on the 3rd of May. The world-wide Anglican communion likes the 1st of May. While American Episcopalians, Lutherans, and some Orthodox prefer the 29th of October. Personally I... Read more