As is my wont, I have been thinking about the Soto Zen mission to North America and the West. A lot. Part of what I see is that the Zen schools have absolutely arrived, including Soto. And that’s kind of wonderful. At the foundation are the Soto missions. In 1922, after establishing a temple in Honolulu, Hosen Isobe established the first Soto mission on North American soil in Los Angeles. From that foundation Zenshuji Soto Mission would... Read more
I see that Mary Travers was born on this day, the 9th of November in 1936. She died in 2009. In between those years she did many things, but most notable for most of us was as a member of the trio Peter, Paul and Mary. She touched many hearts, including mine… 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-one 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
Last night Jan & I saw Harriet. It is a bio pic and has the problems such films usually do. That said, the bottom line is that it is a wonderful movie. Beautifully made, if occasionally by the numbers, but frankly, at that bottom line, inspiring. So, I was a little surprised to learn it has become controversial. Kellie Caeter-Jackson at The Washington Post tells us “the film captures the historical reality of how women challenged slavery by... Read more
It was on this day, the 4th of November, in 1923, just shy of three weeks after his excavation team uncovered steps Howard Carter hoped would lead to the Pharaoh Tutankhamen’s tomb, that the archeologist unsealed what would prove one of the great Egyptian treasure troves. As he looked into the darkness illuminated by a single candle, he was asked anxiously if he saw anything. Carter responded “Yes. Wonderful things.” Today one might consider that a bit of... Read more
In the traditional Christian calendar today is the feast of All Saints. This is a holy day I count as important, linked as it is to both All Hallow’s Eve and All Soul’s Day, a mysterious trifecta. However, within some circles, particularly those called “folk Catholics” this is also the feast of Santa Muerte, Saint Death, or Holy Death, or most formally Our Lady of the Holy Death. A lesser holiday, but one with compelling aspects. I’ve noted this... Read more
Today is the 31st of October. In the Western calendar today is Halloween. In my corner of the world Halloween is basically about small children, and sometimes not so small putting on disguises and hoping to extort candy from their neighbors. And, yes, for some adults costume and alcohol driven parties. At the same time there is something thing more important to our human psyche being offered. I’ve reflected on this in the past. I suspect... Read more
What a piece of worke is a man! how Noble in Reason? how infinite in faculty? in forme and mouing how expresse and admirable? in Action, how like an Angel? in apprehension, how like a God? It was today, the 30th of October, or rather this evening back in 1938 that Orson Welles’ famous, or perhaps infamous radio play the War of the Worlds caused panic in the streets of America. Well, some streets. It was not quite... Read more
As we’re working on our Empty Moon website we quickly saw a need for a brief overview of the Soto school. The Wikipedia article on Soto is a flawed document, but nonetheless contains much useful information. We used it as a template, cutting anything that felt extraneous to that brief overview, while interpolating critical information that was missing. The text remains a bit rough, but seemed workable enough to share here. The text at the Empty Moon website... Read more
It was on this day, the 26th of October in 1892 that Ida B. Wells’s Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases was published. In honor of the occasion and its author, I wrote a version of this biographical appreciation last year. With a few tweaks, here it is again… Ida B. Wells was born a slave in Holly Springs, Mississippi, on the 19th of July, 1862. After obtaining his freedom her father was able to further his... Read more
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