Yesterday I read a blog I follow by someone I’ve known in cyperspace for a very long time. I find him lovely writer, intelligent and even on occasion sparking with wisdom. There are also shadows in his life. Anyway at his blog yesterday morning he posted a suicide note. I carried that for the rest of the day. Fortunately a later posting showed while he obviously has been thinking along these lines, he had not crossed that line… But later... Read more

Thank you Vanity Fair for the ten best political videos you’ve (probably) never seen. Follow the link for an extended commentary & the actual youtube videos. I only include one classic here… 10. Nixon on Bohemian Grove, San Francisco, and the Homos To Be Found Therein 9. Dole on Something-or-Other 8. Lyndon LaRouche Blasts Mondale and His Nefarious Paymasters 7. Americans Turn to George Wallace 6. Nixon on the Espionage Capabilities of Jews 5. Reagan On “What’s My Line?” 4.... Read more

BORN IN BLOOD The American Revolution, Thomas Paine and the Beginnings of Unitarian Universalism A Sermon byJames Ishmael Ford 19 April 2009 First Unitarian ChurchProvidence, Rhode Island Text By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
 Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
 Here once the embattled farmers stood, And fired the shot heard round the world. 
 The foe long since in silence slept;
 Alike the conqueror silent sleeps; And Time the ruined bridge has swept
 Down the dim stream... Read more

An interesting question, certainly. Buddhism is the only major world religion that does not posit a god at the center of things. Doesn’t deny it, either. But famously Buddhism ignores the question as generally irrelevant to the questions it does address regarding human suffering, its cause and its cure. Now the American Buddhist Tricycle blog cites science writer and blogger Razib Khan, who last year wrote about the famous Pew Religious Landscape Survey. At that time he noted the majority... Read more

Among those things that make me fear for the republic has been the rhetoric from many on the right which at times seems to call for violent insurrection. This threat of violence (or, in the case of Texan politicians, secession) is rooted in a belief the federal government exists to trample individual rights through excessive taxation (for some that means any taxation which is believed to be theft, pure and simple), onerous regulation and restriction of personal behavior (smoking, seat... Read more

While the history is a bit off, Longfellow’s poem commemorating this day is a forever part of our national myth… Read more

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It is claimed that Geoffrey Chaucer first tells his Canterbury Tales on this day in 1397 at the court of Richard II. The Prologue in Middle English. How about rapped? Or, if just want to talk a walk… Read more

I’ve had more than one person come to me in the last few months and ask why is it if I’m supposed to be (at least by Unitarian Universalist standards) a spiritual person, why are so many of my sermons and projects focused on social justice issues? It is true my natural inclinations are contemplative. My fantasy retirement is running nearly continuous sesshin, intensive Zen meditation retreats. But actually one reason I’ve followed my nose into the liberal ministry is... Read more

Shamelessly stolen from the wonderful Enlightenment Ward. Some are good, some are bad, some, eh; but you’re going to have to figure out which is which for yourself. (Although, I have heard the Monkey Mind on the list is a real blowhard. You probably can safely skip him…) A Hoodie Monk A Monk Amok a raft abisko Aloha Sangha AMIDA-JI RETREAT TEMPLE ROMANIA Ashin Mettacara Bhikkhu Bhikkhu’s Blog Bodhi Tree Swaying Chán Poetry Clear Mind Zen Dhamma Diary dhamma musings... Read more