The highlight for our Friday in Manhattan was going to see the revival of Hair. Yes, I’m a sucker for this old chestnut. It was the first Broadway musical I ever saw, and for many years the only one. As I’ve mentioned before I saw the road version with my girlfriend in San Francisco in whatever that year was, 68, 69, somewhere in that neighborhood. What caught me then was that it was about us! My friends and I. Although... Read more
Probably on the foolish side, I’m only scheduled to be away from the church three Sundays this church year. Two are for Zen retreats, not what most would consider time “off.” This weekend is the big one. The weather is cooperating. Life is good! ps: I don’t know when New York became “the City.” Weird for a native Californian to not think immediately of that other “the City” when using the term… But, we have been gone from our native... Read more
The modern Hindu sage Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was born on this day in 1836. Through the British Expats Aldous Huxley, Gerald Heard & Christopher Isherwood all of whom were inspired by the saint, my supposed dichotomies of Western faith/atheism were shattered. While I would eventually land elsewhere, there is no doubt I owe Ramakrishna everything for my launch into the spiritual life. Endless bows! Read more
I’m not a big one for Ash Wednesday. This part of the Christian calendar just doesn’t hold a lot of juice for me. On the other hand confessing one’s sins of action or omission is a good thing. Consciously acknowledging the mysterious weaving of our lives, whether on some tragectory toward death and resurrection, or, as I suspect, in entirely different directions, that moment of frank self-assessment is very important. So, to all the open hearted, bless you on this... Read more
Probably not a good idea to forget it… Read more
Why I Take Good Care of My Macintosh Gary Snyder Because it broods under its hood like a perched falcon, Because it jumps like a skittish horse and sometimes throws me, Because it is poky when cold, Because plastic is a sad, strong material that is charming to rodents, Because it is flighty, Because my mind flies into it through my fingers, Because it leaps forward and backward, is an endless sniffer and searcher, Because its keys click like hail... Read more
A MINISTRY OF LOVE James Ishmael Ford 14 February 2010 A Sermon Delivered at the First Unitarian Church in Providence, Rhode Island Text somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond any experience,your eyes have their silence: in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me, or which i cannot touch because they are too near your slightest look easily will unclose me though i have closed myself as fingers, you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens (touching... Read more
Yesterday I received in the post the Spring 2010 issue of Buddhadharma. It was a complementary copy as I’d written the “Commentary,” a generally brief “editorial” that leads off any given issue. This one they titled “Who’s in the Club?” and was my ruminations on the emergence of lay leadership within the Western Zen sangha. I led off with an anecdote relating to my currently serving on the American Zen Teachers Association membership committee. I was vaguely curious as to... Read more
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