It was on this day, the 14th of November, in 2003 that astronomers discovered 90377 Sedna. It’s a dwarf planet. “Dwarf planets” are one of a three-part categorization offered by Alan Stern, one of the premier scientists concerned with the matter. In his scheme there are “classic planets,” “dwarf planets,” and “satellite planets.” While this categorization has some compelling logic behind it, and is in partial use, as yet it is not fully recognized by the International... Read more

      I’ve been reflecting a lot on the arc of the spiritual path. It has numerous aspects. There is the principal thread, the cord that pulls us into the depths. But along with it are numerous points about ourselves, strengths, weaknesses. All the things that make us, that stand in the way for us, and that open doors for us. One of those things turns on the question to what do we give our attention. By one definition... Read more

            James Luther Adams is one of the most important figures to appear within Unitarian Universalism in the Twentieth century. I mean to note his birthday every year as it rolls around. Sadly, I’m not as consistent as I would like. What is now many years ago when Jan & I first moved to New England’s rocky and lovely soil, Jan wanted to go to the Cambridge cemetery to put a rose on Henry James’ grave. I... Read more

    Hugo Enomiya-Lassalle was born into a Huguenot family on this day, the 11th of November, in 1898 in Gut Externbrock, in Westphalia. He experienced the horrors of trench warfare during the Great War. By the time he was twenty-one he had become a Catholic and entered the Jesuit Order. Ten years later he was assigned as a professor of German at the Jesuit Sophia University in Tokyo. Enomiya-Lassalle looked beyond his academic position and began working with the desperately... Read more

        It was on this day, the 10th of November, in 1793, that the revolutionary French Convention proclaimed the investiture of a goddess of reason. She was the central figure for a new state sponsored cult designed to replace Catholic Christianity. The deity’s image was installed on the high altar of the once (and future) Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. For some reason I am intrigued with this moment and have marked it at this blog... Read more

From the Chinese Zen Masters, Bodhidharma on the twofold entrance to the Tao. (1) Translated by D. T. Suzuki From the Manual of Zen Buddhism, page 73 and on There are many ways to enter the Path, but briefly speaking they are of two sorts only. The one is “Entrance by Reason” and the other “Entrance by Conduct”. (2) By “Entrance by Reason” we mean the realization of the spirit of Buddhism by the aid of the scriptural teaching. We then... Read more

    Recently I read of a Mexican approach to death with its three stages. I looked it up. It goes: 1) we die. 2) we’re buried, and 3) we’re forgotten. However, the version I read added in a wrinkle, 1) we realize we will die, 2) we die, 3) we are forgotten. I suspect the second version is a cultural variation. Or, perhaps its simply a misremembering. Whatever, I like them both. Although I really like the second one..... Read more

    I’m currently reflecting on the nature of the spiritual life. This pushes me into a consideration of whether there is a common thread to religions, or whether its a bunch of wildly different religions, each contending to be the only true The smart money seems to be that its all chaos. But, I don’t think so. For several reasons. One is the Golden Rule. Now, most, maybe none consider it their primary teaching. But they all have it,... Read more

    The Gateless Barrier (sometimes Gateless Gate) (無門關 Wúménguān; Japanese: 無門関 Mumonkan) was first published on this day, the 5th of November, in 1228. And with that seven hundred and ninety-three years of admonition, invitation, and general all around Zen hilarity ensues… The Gateless Barrier is an anthology of forty-eight koans, those brief and seemingly enigmatic objects of meditation and conversation with a spiritual director that are unique to the Zen schools. It was compiled by Wumen Huikai (1183-1260),... Read more

    In 1904 George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon and an enthusiastic Egyptologist employed the archeologist Howard Carter to supervise a major excavation in Thebes. They proved an able team. In 1914 the earl received the concession to excavate the Valley of the Kings. The war disrupted their work. But not even counting this disruption the work was a slog and, by 1922 he was getting ready to move on. Carter felt he was near something and convinced the earl... Read more