Samuel Taylor Coleridge was born on this day, October 21st, in 1772. He was a member of the Lake Poets, and considered a co-founder with William Wordsworth of the English Romantic Movement. Coleridge is often credited for introducing German Idealism to the English speaking world. Obviously an overstatement. But he is very important. The child of an Anglican vicar and school master, he was a bookish child. He suffered from rheumatic fever and was sickly throughout his life.... Read more

  One year ago today, the 20th of October, 2020, the Amazing Randi died. A loss for us all. I wrote about him some years ago. And I use that reflection as the basis for this remembrance. Randall James Hamilton Zwinge was born in Toronto, Ontario, on the 7th of August, 1928. In later years as a performer his name was shortened to the more marquee friendly James Randi. Me, I like his magicians’ name best, the Amazing Randi. And... Read more

      My google calendar announced to me that today, the 19th of October is the birthday of the prophet Mohammed. I’m pretty sure no one actually knows the date of his birth. And some muslim sects disapprove a few strongly any such observation. But most do, and the celebration is called Mawlid. There are a couple of possible dates, but one is broadly accepted across sect, the 12th day of the third month in the Islamic calendar. As... Read more

      Teitaro Suzuki was born today, the 18th of October, 1870. (The Wikipedia bio mistakenly lists his birthday as a month later) He died in 1966 at 95 widely celebrated for his critical part in the migration of Japanese style Zen Buddhism to the West. One could fairly say we in the West use the Japanese term “Zen” rather than  “Chan” its name where the school birthed in China because of D. T. Suzuki His prolific and in many... Read more

      BLOOD-STAINED EDEN A Meditation on Despair and Hope and Our Human Condition James Ishmael Ford A Sermon 17 October 2021 First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles We’re running up to a terrible anniversary. Next week will mark one hundred and fifty years since the horrific massacre of Chinese immigrants in Los Angeles in 1871. At the time LA counted fewer than seven thousand people, total. And the Chinese immigrant population was equally tiny, only about one hundred... Read more

    On Sunday evening on the 16th of October, 1859, John Brown, American visionary and terrorist, led a small band of men in an assault on Harper’s Ferry. “John Brown was John the Baptist for the Christ we are to see” sang those who saw his Quixotic raid on Harper’s Ferry as the beginning of the end for slavery. This event is generally considered the beginning of the count down to the Civil War. I think of those who... Read more

      Teresa Sanchez de Cepeda y Ahumada died in a moment when time ceased to be. It was in 1582 exactly as the Julian calendar was replaced by the Gregorian. And with it ten days vanished, the 5th through the 15th. In this negative time, so did Teresa. We know her as Teresa of Avila. The Churches of the West celebrate today, the 15th of October, as a feast in her honor. She is one of only four... Read more

      Sixty-five years ago, today, the 14th of October, 1965, Dr B. R. Ambedkar shook India when he converted to Buddhism. I try to note the major events of his life. Partially because he deserves to be celebrated. But, also to let people who might not otherwise be aware of him, to know a bit about this remarkable figure of Twentieth century Buddhism. He well may provide a signifiant part of the puzzle as to what Buddhism will... Read more

        On the 13th of October, in 1282 the Japanese Buddhist priest, controversialist, and founder, Nichiren died. In 1253 by our common reckoning Nichiren had his realization that the Lotus Sutra was the epitome of all Buddhist teachings. This was a commonly held view. But, he took it one step further, saying that simply calling upon the title of the Sutra can bring about liberation. He went one step beyond that as well, saying this was the... Read more

      Aleister Crowley was born on this day, October 12th, in 1875. He is one of those figures I visit in this blog from time to time. The last time looks to be five years ago. What follows is an updated version of that last entry. I believe the first time I became aware of Aleister Crowley was when I was living in a Zen monastery in Oakland, California. The writer Alan Watts handed on a copy of... Read more