I searched my blog for the terms “defining” and “religion.” So I know those words appear twenty-six times in my various reflections. One of them from a year or so ago was even titled “Defining Religion: Or, a Fool’s Errand.” The title is probably a truth… No doubt religion is a complicated word. For those who care our English word comes from Anglo-French religiun, to French, and then to Latin. Those who seek an etymological origin story most... Read more

        Other Side of Nothing: The Zen Ethics of Time, Space, and Being Brad Warner New World Library, Novato, 2022   A Review James Ishmael Ford   I was offered a copy of Brad Warner’s new book, the Other Side of Nothing in exchange for a review. I said sure. Now the pile of what I must be reading has gotten so high I’m in danger of the pile collapsing with who knows what possible devastation following. As... Read more

    The Layman was once lying on his couch reading a sutra. A monk saw him and said: “Layman! You must maintain dignity when reading a sutra.” The Layman raised up one leg. The monk had nothing to say. This is an episode from the Ruth Fuller Sasaki, Yoshitaka Iriya, and Dana Fraser’s translation of the ninth century Zen classic the Record of Layman P’ang Pangyun (as is the more conventional transliteration of his name goes for us today)... Read more

      The Genjo Koan As all things are buddha-dharma, there is delusion and realization, practice, birth and death, and there are buddhas and sentient beings. As the myriad things are without an abiding self, there is no delusion, no realization, no buddha, no sentient being, no birth and death. The buddha way is, basically, leaping clear of the many of the one; thus there are birth and death, delusion and realization, sentient beings and buddhas. Yet in attachment... Read more

    My friend Ken Ireland, one time Jesuit, long time Zen practitioner, blogger, and now moving into long time resident at McLeod Ganj in Dharamsala sent me the following, saying it was inspired by some of my recent ruminations around the Psalms. He generously agreed to my request to post them here… *** The McLeod Ganj Psalter Songs One to Four Kenneth Ireland Psalm 24, Raise High your Gates O Jerusalem Psalm 23, Following the Flock from Palampur to... Read more

    Yesterday on Facebook I wrote: Soliciting sartorial advice. Probably a mistake on Facebook. But, I’m going to give it a shot. I’m thinking of how to class up my retirement act a bit. Even though I live in SoCal and shorts are as common as seagulls here, I give ’em a pass. Fat old white men are incapable of looking anything but silly in short pants. I am fond of my Hawaiian shirt collection, almost exclusively high end... Read more

      As some of my friends know, I’m visiting an old colleague and friend who identifies as a Unitarian Universalist Christian.  Suffering from a mass of strokes he can’t really communicate much. So, we’ve ended up reading the Psalms together. I’ve pulled about fifty-two from various recommendations of what might be considered the nub of that ancient collection. With my friend I take one and then read the King James Version, then the Jewish Publications Society version, followed... Read more

        In a shove and push situation an honest assessment of how I understand the world is as a kind of Mahayana Buddhist. (Details linked here for your ease, should you be interested) I am so grateful for having found this perspective. And I have seen how my spiritual tradition comes with, well, more than some baggage. As I’ve observed and reflected on the nature of religions for an age. And what I’ve learned is that religions... Read more

      WHO AM I? The Teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi Translation by T.M.P.Mahadevan INTRODUCTION “Who am I?” is the title given to a set of questions and answers bearing on Self-enquiry. The questions were put to Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi by one Sri M. Sivaprakasam Pillai about the year 1902. Sri Pillai, a graduate in Philosophy, was at the time employed in the Revenue Department of the South Arcot Collectorate. During his visit to Tiruvannamalai in 1902... Read more

INTRARELIGIOUS REALIZATION Ruminations of an American Zen Buddhist Robert Aitken (Me, I’m fascinated by the meeting of religions and the inevitability of syncretisms and synthesis of various sorts. On the other hand there are numerous problems. The wonderful Zen teacher Robert Aitken offers a view which is important to consider…) I threw up my hands when I was invited to respond to pronouncements by His Holiness John Paul II on the subject of Buddhism. I felt that his Christianity was... Read more