One of the greats of our culture… Here Paul Simon joins Miriam Makeba… Happy Birthday, Paul! Read more

 Read more

THE ART OF CONVERSATIONA Reflection on Spiritual Practices in Liberal Churches James Ishmael Ford 11 October 2009 First Unitarian Church Providence, Rhode Island Text I did not read books the first summer; I hoed beans. Nay, I often did better than this. There were times when I could not afford to sacrifice the bloom of the present moment to any work, whether of the head or hands. I love a broad margin to my life. Sometimes, in a summer morning,... Read more

Forrest Church: Liberal Man of God By Ted Sorensenformer presidential adviser The death of Unitarian minister Forrest Church, a good man at a time when good men and women are very much in need, presents an appropriate moment to reflect on his life. I knew him well for many years, as I knew his wonderful parents before him. Although we came from different backgrounds and worked in different professions, we had much in common: We both came as young, idealistic... Read more

I’ve just heard* from my friend and colleague in the Zen way, Jay Weik, that John Daido Loori, Jay’s former teacher, Zen roshi and abbot of the Mountains and Rivers Zen Order died this morning at nine thirty. In the Blue Cliff Record, case fifty-five, we get a pointer on this matter. Here’s the case in John Tarrant & Joan Sutherland’s version. Daowu and Jianyuan went to a house to offer condolences. Jianyuan struck the coffin with his hand and... Read more

Hypatia of Alexandria is one of the great although nearly forgotten figures of the Western spiritual tradition, whom I first stumbled upon in my seminary years. I wrote a paper on her which as it is now lost I’m sure was quite insightful… I personally am equally fascinated by her pupil, Synesius and his curious and compelling Christianity… While I have no idea how good the movie is, I have hope for it as there are already people lining up... Read more

When one receives Dharma transmission in the Japanese Soto lines among the lovely and impressive documents one gets most of the time are a pile of papers (well, in my lineage they’ve been collected into a small handwritten book) called kirigami. Mostly they’re odds and ends focused on liturgical matters. However they also include various admonitions to the new Dharma successor. The most striking for me was the assertion that (Zen) Buddhism will last only as long (Zen) Buddhists bow.... Read more

People wonder what it is like to step away from self and other, even if only for a heartbeat. The ancestors tell us this insight is the way of liberation. So, of course many are interested in those anecdotes and pointers sprinkled around the world’s sacred literature. Now, of course, if this is so true and our lives hang in the balance, the most important thing is to find for ourselves. Still, on the way, hearing from those who’ve walked... Read more

On this day in 1965 LSD was declared illegal in the United States. Precisely how illegal has shifted over the years. It is now a schedule 1 drug as defined in the 1970 Controlled Substances Act. Which as far as I’m concerned adds in the assertion that drugs on this list have no potentiality for medical use. A bizarre category in the bizarre field of drug control. As someone who came of age in the late 1960’s in the San... Read more

On this day in 1877, Chief Joseph and his band of the Nez Perce surrendered to General Nelson Miles. Read more