I’m not writing this post because I’m an expert on practicing with sickness and pain. I’m writing it because sickness and pain are the reality of my present moment, and writing is part of my practice. I feel fortunate to have enough energy to sit upright in front of the computer. My head feels bleary and my intelligence greatly dulled, but I feel fortunate to have enough of a brain to get a few words out. There, that’s something. I am... Read more
Why are you reading posts on a spiritual/religious website? Why do you meditate or pray? Why do you attend a temple, church, or Zen center? Underneath all the practical reasons lies your deepest aspiration and concern for your life, and for the life of all other beings. In the mid 1200’s in Japan, Zen master Eihei Dogen gave a short Dharma talk that speaks to me of the supreme importance of our deepest aspiration, and how essential it is that we... Read more
“…the finitude of mundane existence cannot satisfy the human heart completely. Built into the human makeup is a longing for a ‘more’ that the world of everyday experience cannot requite. This outreach strongly suggests the existence of the something that life reaches for in the way that the wings of birds point to the reality of air.” – Huston Smith, Why Religion Matters: The Fate of the Human Spirit in an Age of Disbelief If you don’t have Faith in It and... Read more
Nothing’s better than family at showing you where you still fall short of your own aspirations to be loving, patient, confident, generous, forgiving, and authentic. The thing is, ordinarily you chose who you spend time with. A notable exception is people you work or live in community with – and for the purposes of this article go ahead and lump such folks into the “family” category. Basically, include anyone you have an ongoing relationship with whether you like it or not.... Read more
I spent last week at an intensive, silent Zen meditation retreat. We meditated for 7 hours a day and spent the rest of our waking hours in structured, mindful activity. Even though I’m officially a Zen “teacher” and have done well over 40 such retreats, I identified and resolved a significant doubt I was holding on to. This is, of course, humbling and wonderful at the same time. I realized that I doubted the existence of God. Or, to put it... Read more
When I started my Journey of Conscience over a year ago, how to respond to the climate crisis was an open question for me. Activism? A radically altered lifestyle? Starting a Buddhist climate movement? All of the above? It may sound strange that I have decided to respond to the climate crisis by devoting myself wholeheartedly to simply serving as a Zen priest. To those who care about the climate crisis – or any other critical situation in the world... Read more
Just about every blogger will have something to say in the wake of the Umpqua Community College shooting. Some will just be sad, others will point out this or that as the primary reason for such a tragedy. I just want to point out how screwed up this is. This is insane. This is a sign of the decline of our society. Seriously, folks. Without excusing anything, I ask you to imagine the mindset of these mass shooters. They are not just crazy.... Read more
The comments and discussion provoked by my previous post, “The Burden of Atheism,” has inspired me to say something further about the nature of the Zen experience of God. I have to say up front that this is my Zen experience, but I think it’s typical enough that I’m daring to call it “the” Zen experience. Others may, of course, disagree. I also have to say that we don’t have anything we call “God” in Zen. However, those from theistic cultural... Read more
Lately I’ve been working on a book on meditation. It’s involved extensive research into other spiritual traditions and their meditative aspects. I’ve been very impressed so far with the richness, depth, authenticity, and effectiveness of spiritual paths very different than my own (Zen). One thing this kind of study does, of course, is make you clarify your own practice, tradition, and beliefs. What has recently become more clear to me than ever before is this: I am an atheist. I say this... Read more
At my Zen center right now we’re studying one of the most treasured Zen texts: Zen master Dogen’s essay “Genjokoan.” This week we’re focusing on this passage: “Therefore flowers fall even though we love them; weeds grow even though we dislike them. Conveying oneself toward all things to carry out practice-enlightenment is delusion. All things coming and carrying out practice-enlightenment through the self is realization.” (translation by Shohaku Okumura) To understand this passage, you first need to consider the two aspects... Read more
My Journey of Conscience
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