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monkeymind

2022-08-04T11:02:35-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Brad Warner’s Other Side of Nothing: A Review

Last updated on: August 4, 2022 at 11:02 am   By James Ford

        Other Side of Nothing: The Zen Ethics of Time, Space, and Being Brad Warner New World Library, Novato, 2022   A Review James Ishmael Ford   I was offered a copy of Brad Warner’s new book, the Other Side of Nothing in exchange for a review. I said sure. Now the pile of what I must be reading has gotten so high I’m in danger of the pile collapsing with who knows what possible devastation following. As... Read more

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2022-08-01T14:13:29-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A Feast for Zen’s Layman Pang

Last updated on: August 1, 2022 at 2:13 pm   By James Ford

    The Layman was once lying on his couch reading a sutra. A monk saw him and said: “Layman! You must maintain dignity when reading a sutra.” The Layman raised up one leg. The monk had nothing to say. This is an episode from the Ruth Fuller Sasaki, Yoshitaka Iriya, and Dana Fraser’s translation of the ninth century Zen classic the Record of Layman P’ang Pangyun (as is the more conventional transliteration of his name goes for us today)... Read more

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2022-08-02T12:31:43-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A Comment on the Zen Koan of Everyday Life

Last updated on: August 2, 2022 at 12:31 pm   By James Ford

      The Genjo Koan As all things are buddha-dharma, there is delusion and realization, practice, birth and death, and there are buddhas and sentient beings. As the myriad things are without an abiding self, there is no delusion, no realization, no buddha, no sentient being, no birth and death. The buddha way is, basically, leaping clear of the many of the one; thus there are birth and death, delusion and realization, sentient beings and buddhas. Yet in attachment... Read more

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2022-07-31T08:57:07-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Zen Jesuit Sings some Psalms

Last updated on: July 31, 2022 at 8:57 am   By James Ford

    My friend Ken Ireland, one time Jesuit, long time Zen practitioner, blogger, and now moving into long time resident at McLeod Ganj in Dharamsala sent me the following, saying it was inspired by some of my recent ruminations around the Psalms. He generously agreed to my request to post them here… *** The McLeod Ganj Psalter Songs One to Four Kenneth Ireland Psalm 24, Raise High your Gates O Jerusalem Psalm 23, Following the Flock from Palampur to... Read more

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2022-07-31T07:44:50-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Are you an old fat white guy, and you want to know whether its okay to wear a Guayabvera? I have an answer for you.

Last updated on: July 31, 2022 at 7:44 am   By James Ford

    Yesterday on Facebook I wrote: Soliciting sartorial advice. Probably a mistake on Facebook. But, I’m going to give it a shot. I’m thinking of how to class up my retirement act a bit. Even though I live in SoCal and shorts are as common as seagulls here, I give ’em a pass. Fat old white men are incapable of looking anything but silly in short pants. I am fond of my Hawaiian shirt collection, almost exclusively high end... Read more

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2022-07-28T06:41:10-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Zen Teacher Reads the Psalms and Finds Curses and Blessings and Perhaps a Koan

Last updated on: July 28, 2022 at 6:41 am   By James Ford

      As some of my friends know, I’m visiting an old colleague and friend who identifies as a Unitarian Universalist Christian.  Suffering from a mass of strokes he can’t really communicate much. So, we’ve ended up reading the Psalms together. I’ve pulled about fifty-two from various recommendations of what might be considered the nub of that ancient collection. With my friend I take one and then read the King James Version, then the Jewish Publications Society version, followed... Read more

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2022-07-27T07:21:53-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Cosmopolitan Zen: A Small Lesson to be Gleaned from Turning Toward the Other

Last updated on: July 27, 2022 at 7:21 am   By James Ford

        In a shove and push situation an honest assessment of how I understand the world is as a kind of Mahayana Buddhist. (Details linked here for your ease, should you be interested) I am so grateful for having found this perspective. And I have seen how my spiritual tradition comes with, well, more than some baggage. As I’ve observed and reflected on the nature of religions for an age. And what I’ve learned is that religions... Read more

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2022-07-24T10:00:45-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

WHO AM I? A Teaching of Sri Ramana Maharashi

Last updated on: July 24, 2022 at 10:00 am   By James Ford

      WHO AM I? The Teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi Translation by T.M.P.Mahadevan INTRODUCTION “Who am I?” is the title given to a set of questions and answers bearing on Self-enquiry. The questions were put to Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi by one Sri M. Sivaprakasam Pillai about the year 1902. Sri Pillai, a graduate in Philosophy, was at the time employed in the Revenue Department of the South Arcot Collectorate. During his visit to Tiruvannamalai in 1902... Read more

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2022-07-24T08:45:47-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

INTRARELIGIOUS REALIZATION Ruminations of an American Zen Buddhist

Last updated on: July 24, 2022 at 8:45 am   By James Ford

INTRARELIGIOUS REALIZATION Ruminations of an American Zen Buddhist Robert Aitken (Me, I’m fascinated by the meeting of religions and the inevitability of syncretisms and synthesis of various sorts. On the other hand there are numerous problems. The wonderful Zen teacher Robert Aitken offers a view which is important to consider…) I threw up my hands when I was invited to respond to pronouncements by His Holiness John Paul II on the subject of Buddhism. I felt that his Christianity was... Read more

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2022-07-21T06:51:19-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Squeezing Through the Eye of a Needle

Last updated on: July 21, 2022 at 6:51 am   By James Ford

      I’m always happy when there’s a new posting from Andrew Henry’s wonderful wonderful Youtube channel, Religion for Breakfast. If you’re not familiar with it and you care at all for a scholarly approach to the matters of religion, you are in for a treat. You’re welcome. On the 18th of this month, Dr Henry dropped a video exploring the gospel passage from Mark 10:25 “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a... Read more

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