A ZEN MEDITATION ON THE FOUR ABODES James Ishmael Ford When it is stripped to its essentials, I find the good of the Christian religion boils down to one thing. Love. It attempts to bridge the gap between humanity and the pain of humanity and some mysterious force that calls everything together. And that force is love. When I look at Buddhism, the place where I find the closest analog is in loving-kindness. Really in the whole of the... Read more

        Most high, all powerful, all good Lord! All praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing. To you, alone, Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name. Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him. And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the... Read more

        The Dharma Gate of Nonduality Chapter Nine of THE VIMALAKIRTI SUTRA Translated by John R McRae From the Chinese (Taisho Volume 14, Number 475) The Vimalakirti Sutra was composed in Sanskrit possibly sometime in the first century of our common era, certainly by the third century. It records the expositions of the householder Vimalakirti from his sickbed, whose insight is so deep that even Manjusri, the manifestation of profound wisdom bows to listen. It is hard... Read more

          The Indian spiritual and political leader Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on this day, the 2nd of October, in 1869 in Porbander, a town in present day Gujarat. Later he would universally come to be called Mahatma, or Great Soul. Interestingly, the title originally bestowed by the poet Rabindranath Tagore. Gandhi is a singular figure on the twentieth century public stage. His particular blending of spirituality and politics has left a wake of praise, and... Read more

      We’ve been waiting an age for the new concession stands to open up along Long Beach’s walking and biking paths. Finally three contracts have been issued, two for five years, Louisiana Charlie’s and Grill ’em All. And the third, more important to us as being right in our neighborhood, Saltwater Deck, for three years. There’s still another to come within our walking distance, but right now, I’m over the moon seeing Saltwater Deck has opened. It’s located... Read more

      Jalaladin Muhammad Balkhi, the wondrous Jalaladin Rumi was born on this day, the 30th of September, in 1207. I write about him every once in a while. Here, for instance, I devoted a whole dharma talk to him, for instance. In 2007 he got a lot of press as “America’s most beloved poet.” And you know, he probably still is. Rumi was a Muslim theologian, sometimes these days people slide over this fact, as well as a... Read more

  Miguel Serveto, Michael Servetus, was born in the Kingdom of Aragon today, the 29th of September, in 1509. Or, perhaps 1511. His father was from the minor nobility and worked as a notary. He earned both Batchelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Zaragoza. Later he studied law at the University of Toulouse. In his youth he traveled to Rome where he was appalled at the state of the papacy. This fired his decision to examine the scriptures... Read more

    Miquel de Cervantes Saavedra was born today, the 29th of September,  in 1547. Or, at least people concerned with these matters, are pretty sure that’s the date. Actually we’re not even certain that was his name. Maybe it was Cerbantes. Maybe he was a New Christian. Or, possibly not. His father was a barber/surgeon. The family moved a lot, and for some period of time his father was in debtor’s prison, and support for the family fell to... Read more

        I’ve been thinking a lot about religious calendars and the need for a universalist version. People have been working on these for a quite a while. Some are good. Most are not. Reconciling lunar and solar calendars only begins to note the problems. And. One date that definitely would belong is today, the 28th of September. By some forms of reckoning it was on this day, the 28th of September in the year 551 before our... Read more

      MAGIC LANDS Zen, Makyo, and the Loosening of the Bonds of Perception James Ishmael Ford As we embark on the spiritual path what we may have spent a lifetime thinking was real and concrete, rather quickly reveals it is not. Sometimes these disruptions of the old and intimations of something new are graces, disruptions of the world opening us into the mystery. More often these are something a bit different. I n Zen the term for these... Read more