On one of the list serves to which I belong where the participants are all Zen teachers the question has been raised whether in our communities we sit facing into the room or out toward the wall. This question is inspired by our ancestor Bodhidharma’s famous “wall gazing” practice. And worthy, no doubt. But, recently I was visiting with someone who has undertaken both Vipassana and Zen practices over the years, and is now in declining health and discovering she... Read more

Those who follow the various doings of the Zen community online or just read this blog may well be aware of the controversies regarding the gigantic Buddhist portal, E-sangha. There have been numerous allegations over the years that views not congruent with their own are silenced. These include banning highly controversial organizations, and no doubt disruptive and aggressive behaviors. But their control of the range of opinion that may be expressed also dipped into the mainstream of contemporary world Buddhism.... Read more

On this day in 1964 the Beatles appeared live on American television for the first time on the Ed Sullivan show. Read more

I AND THOU A Buddhist Perspective A Sermon byJames Ishmael Ford 8 February 2008First Unitarian ChurchProvidence, Rhode Island Text I contemplate a tree. I can accept it as a picture: a rigid pillar in a flood of light, or splashes of green traversed by the gentleness of blue silver ground. I can feel it as movement: the flowing veins around the sturdy, thriving core, the sucking of the roots, the breathing of the leaves, the infinite commerce with earth and... Read more

‘Tis annoying. Tomorrow is one big, big deal in my life. Truthfully one of the bigger… At three in the afternoon I will be installed as the minister of the First Unitarian Church of Providence. This is only the seventeenth time since they gathered together in 1720 that this congregation has installed a minister. There are all sorts of muckety-mucks going to be there. The mayor of Providence is bringing greetings as are a few too many clergy of various... Read more

Charles Dickens was born today in 1812. Read more

In the Rastafarian faith today, his birthday, is Bob Marley Day. Read more

Some years ago, well, a bunch of years ago, I was working for Moe Moskowitz at his famous Berkeley bookstore. The author William Burroughs was passing through, pitching some book or other, I no longer recall which. And he was set to do a book signing at Moe’s. I was assigned to lay out a flyer. It was a treat of a task, and what to do was obvious. For the text I cut out letters from magazines and newspapers... Read more

Sadly, over at Enlightenment Ward we learn two Zen teachers are charging that the other has faked up his credentials. In Zen this is a big deal. I think Zen teachers and Dharma transmission are frequently puffed up way too much. Grand and frankly on occasion magical claims have been made by or on behalf of too many Zen teachers. Lots of noise, smoke and mirrors. And it should be challenged when it is oversold. In my opinion if only... Read more

Thank you, Posey! Read more