On one of the listservs to which I subscribe there has been some discussion of Ryokan’s lovely poem, which, in Abe & Haskel’s translation goes If my arms draped in these black robesWere only wide enoughHow gladly would I shelter in themAll the people of this floating world Somehow for me this verse sparked a recollection of Emily Dickinson I dwell in Possibility –A fairer house than Prose –More numerous of Windows –Superior – for Doors – Of chambers as... Read more

How absolutely exciting! A movie about the great Eihei Dogen (think sort of a Buddhist combination of a thiner Thomas Aquinas & John of the Cross with just a dash of Thomas Cranmer without the spouse), founder of Soto Zen in Japan. Can’t wait for those panoramic scenes of him sitting facing a wall… I really am stoked & want to see this one. Story of Zen founder premieres at WMU March 16, 2009 KALAMAZOO–In one of its first screenings... Read more

The Vernal Equinox is also Norooz (or Norouz) the “Persian New Year,” a celebration rooted in the Zoroastrian tradition. And Zoroastrianism, even its homeopathic impression on a contemporary culture, is just very interesting… I love the goldfish. I can’t figure out why the images of what appear to be African people, and maybe don’t want to know, although they don’t appear to be meant as offensive… If you have time this is a very good survey even if it doesn’t... Read more

Edgar Rice Burroughs died on this day in 1950. I was two years old. A decade later, or close to it, a friend and I were rummaging through some boxes of magazines and books looking for old copies of my father’s stash of Playboys. I’ve recounted before I how instead found a cache of Ace paperback editions of Edgar Rice Burrough’s novels, replete with Frank Frazetta covers. I loved those covers… I’m almost positive my first Burroughs novel was At... Read more

And it appears she has some Zen friends… Read more

As so often is true, thank you, Agnes (don’t forget you can enlarge this by clicking on the image…) Read more

I’m pleased to note two new members of the blogsphere, one an old Zen hand and the other one of the leading Zen teachers in the West. My dear friend David Heald has just launched Distant Temple Bell. He is a good thinker and I look forward to following his adventures. As has my friend and teacher John Tarrant who has launched both a blog, Zenosaurus and a webpage. John is one of the most lucid writers on the arcane... Read more

Happy St Patrick’s Day! Makes me think of my paternal heritage. All four of my great grand parents came from Ireland. Although it turns out a genetic test strongly suggests my paternal gene pool had something to do with Viking visits to the Old Sod well documented in the early part of the ten minute history of Ireland below… Read more

Yesterday afternoon I participated in our statewide Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry meeting where we decided which issues we would be addressing at this year’s legislative session. Can’t do ’em all, that’s for sure. We had presentations from six or seven areas of common concern. But there was some confusion. In this project we’ve long struggled with taking on too many issues and therefore being not particularly useful in any. But as the meeting progressed we never actually said how many... Read more