Good For Nothing: Meeting a Zen Teacher

Last updated on: June 30, 2024 at 7:04 am By James Ford

Why is it that a person of the intimate way cannot cut off the the vermillion thread, that thread of tears? from Songyuan’s Three Turning Words collected in the Harada Yasutani Miscellaneous Koans A few of us in my broader Zen family have been discussing this little koan from our traditional curriculum. The kick off for that conversation was an observation about that vermillion thread. Sometimes the red-purple thread. Sometimes the red thread. Within our received tradition the thread is... Read more

Unitarian Universalism’s Not Exactly Creeds

Last updated on: June 25, 2024 at 9:44 pm By James Ford

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Big things going on in Unitarian Universalist world. And I find it time for some reflection. The UUA I belonged to as a working minister between when received my first call to a parish in 1991 and 2016 when I officially retired, was framed by a document called the “Principles and Purposes.” We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote The inherent worth and dignity of every person; Justice, equity and compassion in human... Read more

Robert Aitken: An American Zen Original

Last updated on: June 19, 2024 at 6:48 pm By James Ford

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Robert Baker Aitken was born on June the 19th, 1917 in Philadelphia. At five his family moved to Honolulu, where, with some times away, he would make his home for the rest of his life. He would grow up to become one of the most notable Western Zen teachers of the Twentieth century. While Aitken Roshi was the teacher of my koan teacher, John Tarrant, for various reasons, not the least of which was geographic, I had little direct contact with him.... Read more

Our Fathers. A Continuing Meditation

Last updated on: June 16, 2024 at 9:17 am By James Ford

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In digging through my files I notice every few years I share an ongoing thread of thoughts about Father’s Day. Some points I repeat. Others get dropped. While still others call for deeper consideration. I think of this project as a sort of spiritual discipline. As far as the history of it goes, the idea of honoring fathers is pretty old and exists around the world one way or another. The Christian world has honored fathers at least nominally for... Read more

Henry Thoreau on Not Knowing

Last updated on: June 15, 2024 at 9:08 am By James Ford

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Dizang asked Fayan, “Where are you going?” Fayan answered, “Around on pilgrimage.” Dizang then asked, “What is the purpose of pilgrimage?” Fayan replied, “I don’t know.” Dizang said, “Not knowing is most intimate.” Book of Serenity, Case 20 (What follows is a passage from Henry David Thoreau’s lecture, Walking. He drew partially from his journals and in total seemed to have worked on it for several years. The complete essay ws first delivered as a talk at the Concord Lyceum... Read more

Recalling the Remarkable Harriet Martineau

Last updated on: June 11, 2024 at 10:01 am By James Ford

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Harriet Martineau, British novelist, lecturer, abolitionist and theological thinker was born on the 12th of June, in 1802. She was also a Unitarian, a naturalist, and, eventually an atheist. Her influences within the Unitarian world would be immeasurable. She’s always been a favorite of mine. And I try to notice when this day rolls around… The family were active English Unitarians of Huguenot descent, her father a deacon at the famed Octagon Chapel in Norwich. The family was comfortably middle... Read more

A Bridging Spirit: Dreaming a Taoist Jesus

Last updated on: June 8, 2024 at 8:32 am By James Ford

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I’m deeply interested in religious syncretisms. Possibly my favorite is the Luminous Religion, a Nestorian mission to China which flourished between the seventh and tenth centuries. Next to nothing was known about this mission beyond the so-called Nestorian Stele, which spoke of a missionary bishop named Aluoben and his mission’s welcome. That is until the Taoist monk Wang Yuanlu’s famous discovery of the cave library at Dunhuang in 1900. Among the astonishing cache were a handful of texts. What they... Read more

Recalling the Zen philosopher Kitaro Nishida

Last updated on: June 6, 2024 at 9:18 am By James Ford

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Kitaro Nishida died on the 7th of June 1945. He brought a deep commitment to Zen Buddhism and western philosophical disciplines together. The founder of what has come to be called the Kyoto School, Nishida has been described as the most influential Japanese philosopher of the twentieth century. His ashes were divided into three parts. The first interred at the family plot. The second at the Rinzai monastery Myoshinji. And the third at Tokeiji temple, where the funeral was performed.... Read more

Allen Ginsberg as Bard of the Holy Spirit

Last updated on: June 2, 2024 at 12:47 pm By James Ford

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Allen Ginsberg was born on the 3rd of June, in 1926, in Newark, New Jersey. His father was a poet and school teacher, while his mother was an activist and Marxist. He had a brother Eugene. His mother’s schizophrenia was a constant issue within the family. Her illness would be a recurrent theme in his writing. As a teen Ginsberg began publishing poems in the local newspaper, the Paterson Morning Call. He attended Columbia University, graduating in 1948. While at... Read more

A Zen Meditation on Foolish Wisdom

Last updated on: June 1, 2024 at 11:43 am By James Ford

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I’ve been thinking about foolish wisdom. While this is another season, it made me recall April 1st. That day marked out as many things. For one it’s the Assyrian New Year. For another it’s the feast for Mary of Egypt, a rather interesting desert mother. I also like to note it’s Edible Book day. And, of course, it’s April Fool’s Day. The only day in the year most everyone fact checks. (And, yes. I got confused with what first day of... Read more