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January 2023

January 22, 2023

Zen at the Margins: Reflecting on Monastic, Priestly, Secular, Jewish, & Christian Zens

Zen at the Margins Monastic, Priestly, Secular, Jewish, and Christian Zens James Ishmael...

January 16, 2023

Zen and the Garden of Eden

Zen and the Garden of Eden Wisdom from the Ancestors James Ishmael Ford Now the...

January 07, 2023

CEASE FROM EVIL: A Reflection on the First Precept of Zen Buddhism

CEASE FROM EVIL A Reflection on the First Precept of Zen Buddhism...

December 2022

December 30, 2022

Bad Times and Words of Hope: A Zen Meditation at the End of a Year

It's the eve of the eve of a new year. At...

December 27, 2022

A Simple Summation of Zen Master Eihei Dogen’s Teachings: Cultivating Verification in One School Zen

Cultivating Verification in One School Zen A New Shushōgi for Now Words...

December 25, 2022

THE FOURTH CHRISTMAS SERMON

THE FOURTH CHRISTMAS SERMON A Zen Vision of a Christianity...

December 13, 2022

TWENTY-THREE ZEN BOOKS: Essential Reading on the Intimate Way

TWENTY-THREE ZEN BOOKS Essential Reading on the Intimate Way James Ishmael Ford...

October 2022

October 13, 2022

CHRISTIAN ZEN TEACHERS: A List in Progress

CHRISTIAN ZEN TEACHERS A List in Progress Draft update November...

June 2022

June 05, 2022

No There There: A Zen Dharma Talk

NO THERE THERE A Dharma Talk Edward Sanshin Oberholtzer Joseph Priestley...

November 2021

November 26, 2021

Mr Yamada’s Zen Enlightenment Experience

For years and years people have talked about the Zen awakening experiences collected in Philip...

April 2020

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...

August 2019

August 04, 2019

A Short Meditation on the Three-legged Stool of the Zen Way

I just saw a meme on Facebook that reads "Tradition: peer pressure from the dead."...

August 03, 2019

OUR ANCESTOR’S DREAMS: Engaging a Zen koan from the Bible

OUR ANCESTOR’S DREAMS Engaging a koan from the Bible A Dharma talk delivered...

May 2019

May 18, 2019

Enlightenment, Endarkenment, Zen

Enlightenment, Endarkenment, Zen James Myoun Ford Anaheim Zen Sangha When buddhas don’t appear And...

May 12, 2019

What Is Zen? Really?

(I'm working on some articles that we post at our...

May 11, 2019

Zen Practice for Everyone

ZEN PRACTICE FOR EVERYONE James Myoun Ford (Just finished this for our Empty Moon...

May 09, 2019

The Anaheim Zen Sangha Begins to Sink Some Roots

Well, our Empty Moon project, the Anaheim Zen Sangha is off and running! We're...

August 2018

August 23, 2018

True Sitting & the Fundamental Koan: A Discussion with Shin’ichi Hisamatsu

True Sitting & the Fundamental Koan: A Discussion with Shin'ichi Hisamatsu[1]...

July 2018

July 27, 2018

A Zen Retreat With James Ishmael Ford

SESSHIN "To Touch the Heart Mind" The Blue Cliff Zen Network announces our...

June 2018

June 14, 2018

The Zen of Yasunarti Kawabata

Yasunarti Kawabata was born on this day, the 11th of June, 1899. He was...

June 13, 2018

“I Am Certain of Nothing” A Small Reflection on the “Zen” Wisdom of Anthony Bourdain

Me, I've long been a fan of Anthony Bourdain. I found his approach...

June 10, 2018

Somewhere Over the Rainbow: The Smallest of Zen Reflection on the Original Koan

I see that Frances Ethel Gumm was born today in 1922. Most of us...

June 09, 2018

The Spiral Dance of Zen Practice, Awakening, and Ordinary Life

The Spiral of Awakening. An old friend tells about...

June 07, 2018

Kyogen Carlson Roshi, “Notes on Zazen Practice”

I've been thinking about the various comments about Zen meditation I've seen around the inter...

June 05, 2018

Learning the Language of Dragons: An Introduction to Zen Meditation & Especially to Koans

Today the 5th of June is the official publication date of my...

June 04, 2018

Come Home, Come Home: All is Forgiven: A Zen Meditation on Zen Meditation

As I write this I am sitting at SeaTec in Seattle waiting...

June 02, 2018

Voice of the Raindrops: A Zen Koan

As we continue on our Zen retreat up in Seattle, I offer another...

June 01, 2018

Deep in Poop: Reflections on a Zen Koan

This weekend I am deep into a Zen meditation retreat in Seattle and...

May 2018

May 30, 2018

Zen Buddhism: The Kind of Religion

This past Sunday I have the privilege of being invited to preach...

May 28, 2018

I Find Myself Asked What of Zen is Worth Preserving?

Rick McDaniel, the author of several narrative histories of aspects of the Zen tradition in...