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April 2020

April 23, 2020

What Did Jesus Drink?

My grandmother, Bolene Bernard, was my first spiritual guide. She was an elder...

April 22, 2020

The Good News as Magical Realism: The Zen Priest Reflects on Pasolini’s Gospel According to St Matthew

I am currently teaching a survey of the Abrahamic religious texts for...

April 19, 2020

A Zen Priest Thinks about the Parable of the Good Samaritan

Today I shared a reflection on Jesus' parable the Good Samaritan at the UU...

April 18, 2020

PEACE BE UPON YOU. YOU ARE FREE. A Zen meditation

PEACE BE UPON YOU. YOU ARE FREE A Zen meditation James...

April 11, 2020

SURFING THE LIMINAL A Dharma Talk for Therapists, Zen Practitioners, & Anyone Hoping to be Useful

SURFING THE LIMINAL A Dharma Talk for Therapists, Zen Practitioners, & Anyone...

April 10, 2020

EVERY DAY IS GOOD FRIDAY A Zen Meditation on a Christian Holy Day

EVERY DAY IS GOOD FRIDAY A Zen Meditation on a Christian Holy Day...

April 09, 2020

That is Enough: The Zen Priest’s Small Poem for Maundy Thursday

We're in a rather mysterious season. Yesterday Buddhists who use the Gregorian Calendar...

April 05, 2020

ANTICIPATING PASSOVER Four Steps to Freedom

ANTICIPATING PASSOVER Four Steps to Freedom James Ishmael Ford In the Christian calendar...

April 04, 2020

A CRICKET, SINGING Zen Commentary on Gateless Gate, Case 10

A CRICKET, SINGING Zen Commentary on Gateless Gate, Case 10 James Ishmael...

April 03, 2020

Some Zen Advice from Facebook

On Facebook today Zen teacher Renshin Bunce cited a version of a classic...

March 2020

March 30, 2020

The Zen Priest Shares a Small Snapshot from a Long Beach Walk During the Covid 19 Pandemic

Here in Long Beach we are currently under a "safer at home"...

March 28, 2020

TOWARD A SOULFUL ZEN A Review of Pamela Weiss’ “A Bigger Sky: Awakening a Fierce Feminine Buddhism”

TOWARD A SOULFUL ZEN A Review of Pamela Weiss, “A Bigger Sky:...

March 26, 2020

With A Little Help From My Friends: My Zen Lineage

On Facebook a friend just posted a meme. The game was to post...

March 23, 2020

Recalling Willigis Jager, Benedictine Friar, and Zen Master

I just learned from my old dharma friend Ken Ireland that Father Willigis...

March 22, 2020

WALKING THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW Reflecting on the 23rd Psalm, Buddhism, Nondual Christianity, Broken Hearts, and a way of Intimacy

WALKING THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW Reflecting on the 23rd Psalm,...

March 21, 2020

AS EASY AS FALLING OFF A LOG Investigating the Zen Koan of a Non-Attained Buddha

AS EASY AS FALLING OFF A LOG Investigating the Zen Koan of...

March 15, 2020

REVELATIONS OF A PLAGUE YEAR Or, Dreaming the Apocalypse

REVELATIONS OF A PLAGUE YEAR Or, Dreaming the Apocalypse James Ishmael...

March 14, 2020

BODHIDHARMA SIGHED: Zen Comments on the Gateless Gate, Case 41

BODHIDHARMA SIGHED Zen Comments on the Gateless Gate, Case 41 James Ishmael Ford...

March 09, 2020

The Bodhisattva Way and a Robe of Many Colors: Commenting on a Zen Koan

The Bodhisattva Way and a Robe of Many Colors Commenting on a Zen...

March 08, 2020

Householder Zen, Priests, and An Experiment Begins in Australia

On Wednesday last, Jan & I climbed aboard a Virgin Australia...

March 01, 2020

THE BIRTH OF GOD And What It Can Mean for Us

THE BIRTH OF GOD And What It Can Mean for Us James Ishmael...

February 2020

February 29, 2020

Xizhong and his Magical Cart: Comments on a Zen Koan

Xizhong and his Magical Cart James Ishmael Ford The master of the intimate...

February 25, 2020

Zen & the Establishment of cultures of awakening

Zen and the establishment of cultures of awakening A few preliminary thoughts James...

February 23, 2020

ZEN & THE WEST: Nearly Random Thoughts on Clerical Marriage in Buddhism, Women teaching, and the Rise of Householder Zen

ZEN & THE WEST Nearly Random Thoughts on Clerical Marriage in Buddhism, Women teaching, and...

February 19, 2020

VOTING WITH CLIMATE CHANGE IN MIND: A Citizen’s Guide

VOTING WITH CLIMATE CHANGE IN MIND A Citizen's Guide Tom Bowman (My old friend...

February 17, 2020

Giordano Bruno is Burned at the Stake

On this day, the 17th of February, in 1600 Giordano Bruno, former friar,...

February 16, 2020

MANY LOVES A Small Reflection on the Spiritual Life

MANY LOVES A Small Reflection on the Spiritual Life James Ishmael Ford ...

February 15, 2020

Enter Christmas Humphreys, Western Buddhist Ancestor

Travers Christmas Humphreys was born In Ealing, Middlesex, England, on this day, the...

February 11, 2020

Thinking of Shunryu Suzuki

I notice that it was on this day, the 11th of February, in...

February 09, 2020

Zen & the Art of Foolishness

The Case The master Huoan asked, “Why is it the Western Barbarian has...