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2025-03-04T10:13:00-08:00

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.

Last Call: The Joy of Fat Tuesday

Last updated on: March 4, 2025 at 10:13 am By James Ford

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One of my favorite not exactly religious holidays is upon us! Today, Tuesday, is the day before my liturgically minded Christian friends observe Ash Wednesday, and launch into their long “fast.” (Scare quotes because, hey, its not really a fast, is it? Not for most folk, anyway…) Fat Tuesday, I gather, in French is Mardi Gras. In the liturgical calendar it is called Shrove Tuesday. It’s meant to be a moment of self-reflection. But, for humans, it can go in... Read more

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2025-01-31T18:26:09-08:00

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.

Two Robots Discuss James Ishmael Ford’s Intimate Way of Zen

Last updated on: January 31, 2025 at 6:26 pm By James Ford

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An old friend just told me about one of the interesting wrinkles in the flood of artificial intelligence offerings. Google’s Notebook LM offers a program where one can turn a manuscript into a conversation between two robots. One has a male voice, the other a female. So, I did it… Read more

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Robots talking about a book

2024-12-15T13:28:23-08:00

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.

Xiangyan’s Up a Tree: Meditation on a Zen Koan

Last updated on: December 15, 2024 at 1:28 pm By James Ford

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(At our Empty Moon Zen Rohatsu retreat at the end of the year there were several outstanding talks on our intimate way. I’ve asked the speakers if I could reprint them at my blog, and each graciously agreed. Here I offer the last of these, this from Thomas Wardle, a Dharma Holder within our Zen lineage.) The Case: The priest Xiangyan (Kyogen) said, “It is as though you were up in a tree, hanging from a branch with your teeth.... Read more

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2025-02-19T10:57:50-08:00

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 Buddha’s Last Words: A Light to Guide the Way

Last updated on: February 19, 2025 at 10:57 am By James Ford

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“Make of yourself a light” said the Buddha, before he died. I think of this every morning as the east begins to tear off its many clouds of darkness, to send up the first signal-a white fan streaked with pink and violet, even green. An old man, he lay down between two sala trees, and he might have said anything, knowing it was his final hour. The light burns upward, it thickens and settles over the fields. Around him, the... Read more

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History and Religion

2025-02-11T06:43:41-08:00

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.

Ten Zen Pointers for Engaging the World

Last updated on: February 11, 2025 at 6:43 am By James Ford

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A friend recently posted on social media ten pointers for engaging with the world and our difficult political and ecological crises. It was from my book, The Intimate Way Of Zen. I’m glad he thought it helpful. Perhaps you will, as well… Ten Zen Pointers 1. Start with generosity of heart. 2. Bind ourselves to standards of conduct that support our aspirations. There are lots of rules, laws, precepts, and guidelines offered by different traditions. Understand what these rules are... Read more

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Socially Engaged Buddhism

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rules for social engagement

2024-12-15T12:05:25-08:00

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.

Of a Goddesses and Saint: A Meditation on the Liminal

Last updated on: December 15, 2024 at 12:05 pm By James Ford

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Thus have I heard. And which I repeat. Brigid was born in 451 in County Louth. Traditions say her mother, Brocca was a Christian Pict slave. Baptized, tradition says, by Patrick himself. Brigid was said to exhibit signs of holiness from early on, including giving away her father’s money and goods to the poor. She became a nun, and with seven companions are celebrated as the first nuns in Ireland. She was eventually given “abbatial powers,” authority similar to that... Read more

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2024-12-15T11:29:27-08:00

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.

Meeting the Struggle: A Zen Meditation

Last updated on: December 15, 2024 at 11:29 am By James Ford

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(Maurine Mo Weindhardt is a Dharma Holder with the Empty Moon Zen Sangha. She delivered this talk at our December Rohatsu retreat. I asked her if I could reprint it here, and she graciously agreed.) For those of you who might need a sincere reminder, hear me. This is a deep and abiding truth: You are worthy. You are sacred. You are loved. Today, we’re going to talk about meeting the struggle. This has many meanings — but whether big... Read more

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Buddhist

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2025-01-18T13:04:53-08:00

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.

Abandon Hope? A Zen Meditation

Last updated on: January 18, 2025 at 1:04 pm By James Ford

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(On Saturday the 18th of January, Dr Chris Kaishin Hoff, an Empty Moon Zen Senior Dharma Teacher delivered the talk. With his generous permission I’m reprinting it here. I find it particularly timely…) In December, the counseling clinic I direct had a Secret Santa gift exchange. When it came my turn to open a gift, I was surprised by a coffee mug with the phrase “hope betrays” printed on it. I laughed out loud. You see, all the therapists who... Read more

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2024-12-15T11:06:53-08:00

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 Small Meditation Ahead of the Inauguration

Last updated on: December 15, 2024 at 11:06 am By James Ford

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We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. There are some things in our social system to which all of us ought to be maladjusted. Hatred and bitterness can never cure the disease of fear; only love can do that. We must evolve for all human conflict a method, which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love. Before... Read more

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2025-01-14T18:54:44-08:00

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 Zen Peek Through Lewis Carrol’s Looking Glass

Last updated on: January 14, 2025 at 6:54 pm By James Ford

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Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, Lewis Carrol to the world, died on the 14th of January, in 1898. It was at his sister’s home in Guildford, a small town in Surrey, England. He was two weeks shy of sixty-six. I wrote of this last year. I think it worth revisiting again with a few updates here and there. Dodgson was born at the All Saints’ vicarage in Cheshire, England, today, the 27th of January, in 1832. His family produced military men and... Read more

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