Way back a million years ago I was interviewing for what would become my first settlement as a UU parish minister. It had been a long day of interviewing and related, we’d had dinner and this was kind of the sweep up, mostly visiting but with some important questions. One member looked at me and asked, “James, what do you think of football?” I wasn’t exactly sure where this one was going. It was Wisconsin. And I knew this was... Read more

I see that Simone Weil died today in 1943. In the Christian calendar a saint is recalled on the day of their death as it is supposed to signify their new birth into the heavenly life. As that is not consonant with my spiritual philosophy I prefer for the most part to note birthdays. However, Weil considered herself part of the Christian camp, even though it is generally believed she was never baptised, and so a day like today seems... Read more

Sacco and Vanzetti died today in 1927… Read more

There are magical things about cities. Everything is found in the city… Nightmares… Dirty. Crowded. Violent places. And, as well, at the very same time, the gathering of dreams… Of Hope. Of Possibility. Here I find Rocky Dawuni singing that dream for us… Dreaming of the city, of The City, of Peace… In the midst of the whirlwind… Read more

One of those little treats of our new web based world is Panhala, who sends me a poem every day…. Today I received something from the Buddhist poet Jane Hirschfield’s Lives of the Heart. “Almost the twenty-first century” — how quickly the thought will grow dated, even quaint. Our hopes, our future, will pass like the hopes and futures of others. And all our anxieties and terrors, nights of sleeplessness, griefs, will appear then as they truly are — Stumbling,... Read more

Just ’cause… Read more

Every now and again I get questions about what the words monk and nun, priest and teacher might actually mean in Zen. I’ve attempted to address these questions in various places. In my book, Zen Master Who? And at spots around the web. For instance: http://monkeymindonline.blogspot.com/2008/07/authority-in-zen.html http://monkeymindonline.blogspot.com/2009/02/teaching-credentials-in-zen.html http://boundlesswayzen.org/lineage.htm http://monkeymindonline.blogspot.com/2009/02/lay-dharma-transmission-in-north.htm I’ve just responded to another query at my Facebook account. And I thought my attempt at distillation might be worth sharing with a broader audience. So, here’s what I most recently... Read more

The other day Jan, auntie and I saw Julie and Julia. We would have to agree with the general tone of the critics that the paring of the two stories created an unfair comparison between an archetype and a kid, inviting beyond that unfair comparisons between one of the great actresses of our time and someone just finding her way into the trade. But, you know, that said, we really liked it. And I personally recommend it… The lesser story... Read more

Gene Roddenberry was born on this day in 1921. Science fiction was my first window on the world beyond the narrow confines of my upbringing. Roddenberry’s Star Trek began when I was eighteen and so didn’t have a major influence on me personally. Still, it seems obvious that it served a similar purpose to the generation that came of age after me. I do believe his vision was largely the same one I found in many Science Fiction writers and... Read more

John Tarrant at Kripalu Sept 25-27 John Tarrant, Roshi, senior teacher at the Pacific Zen Institute and my primary Zen teacher makes a rare visit to the east coast Sept 25-27 to teach at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in the Berkshires in Stockbridge, MA. The retreat he’ll be leading is called, Meditation and Creativity: Practices that Free the Mind. This retreat, unlike conventional Zen sesshin, is very much for everyone; and very important for someone just interested... Read more