My grandmother, Bolene Bernard, was my first spiritual guide. She was an elder in her independent Baptist churches and a prayer warrior. Grandma was a wise and courageous woman. She was always poor. The only bad decision I know she made was in her choice of a husband. She worked mostly as a maid. As she aged people increasingly went to her for counsel. Not only did I learn to read from a large illustrated King James Bible... Read more
I am currently teaching a survey of the Abrahamic religious texts for a Buddhist chaplaincy program at the University of the West. This has been a powerful exercise for me. On the one hand it has been a deep-ish dive into the spiritual texts of my childhood, which I’d last considered seriously during my seminary days now going on well past a quarter of a century ago. And, it was my charge to leave my largely Chinese... Read more
Today I shared a reflection on Jesus’ parable the Good Samaritan at the UU Church in Anaheim, which I currently serve as consulting minister. I accidentally live streamed it from our Empty Moon Facebook page, rather than the Unitarian Universalist Church in Anaheim‘s page. Considering my own path and the inter spiritual message of the talk, I rather liked the confusion. And. Empty Moon has just started a Youtube channel, and this talk is archived there. I hope you’ll... Read more
PEACE BE UPON YOU. YOU ARE FREE A Zen meditation James Myoun Ford Today, let’s consider a koan. In the curricular system associated with the Eighteenth-century Japanese master Hakuin Ekaku and transmitted in our lineage, once one has dug deeply into the first koan, what is sometimes called the breakthrough koan, most commonly the Mu or dog koan, the one that helps us see past the snares of our egos and into the larger mystery, we... Read more
SURFING THE LIMINAL A Dharma Talk for Therapists, Zen Practitioners, & Anyone Hoping to be Helpful by Chris Hoff Senior Dharma Teacher Empty Moon Zen Collective To inform this talk I want to share about a couple of things I read this week. But before I get there, I too like most others, am in quarantine. I’m not sure how long this will last. And like many others, in an effort to find something to do... Read more
EVERY DAY IS GOOD FRIDAY A Zen Meditation on a Christian Holy Day James Ishmael Ford I am a child of the West. I learned to read from an outsized King James Bible resting on my grandmother’s lap. I am fond of saying how to this day Jesus and the Mary’s all crowd up together in my dreams. It’s true. Unlike many of my friends I’ve never been angry at the church, either the institutions or its messages.... Read more
We’re in a rather mysterious season. Yesterday Buddhists who use the Gregorian Calendar observed the Buddha’s birth. With dusk the Jewish community began Passover. And today is Maundy Thursday. Of course against all this we are in the midst of the Corona-19 pandemic. A good time to reflect. Where does it all come from? To where does it all go? What is meaning and meaninglessness? These questions call a poem out of my heart. I share it knowing... Read more
ANTICIPATING PASSOVER Four Steps to Freedom James Ishmael Ford In the Christian calendar today is Palm Sunday. It inaugurates what is called Holy Week, which will retell the story of Jesus going into Jerusalem, celebrate a Passover meal with his friends, be arrested, tried, tortured, and crucified. Then, next Sunday, in the great myth of the Christian story, he will rise from the dead. It is a powerful story, with many nuances and invitations for anyone wishing to... Read more
A CRICKET, SINGING Zen Commentary on Gateless Gate, Case 10 James Ishmael Ford A student of the intimate way came to the master Caoshan Benji. He said “My name is Qingshui. I am solitary and destitute. Please give me alms.” The master responded, “Venerable Shui!” Quinshui immediately responded, “Yes!” Master Caoshan replied, “You’ve already sipped three glasses of the finest wine in the nation. And yet you say you’ve not put the cup to your lips.” Gateless... Read more
On Facebook today Zen teacher Renshin Bunce cited a version of a classic Zen text from another teacher on the great way Koshin Paley Ellison. Let me respectfully remind you: Life and Death are of supreme importance. Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost. On this night, the days of our life are decreased by one. Each of us should strive to awaken. Awaken! Take heed! Do not squander your life. Zen teacher Rachel Mansfield-Howlett added another... Read more
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