Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Wild Fox Zen

Home
Buddhist

Uncategorized

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 August 2021 June 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 November 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 August 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 December 2016 October 2016 June 2016 April 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 August 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008

March 2018

March 12, 2018

Big Idea, Big Stupid, Big Realization

In a letter written by Hakuin in 1734 (Complete Plum Blossoms in a Thicket of...

March 05, 2018

Acquiring the Ability to Teach Dunces of the Poorer Sort

One of the hallmarks of Hakuin's vivid style of Zen was his emphasis on the...

February 2018

February 23, 2018

Hakuin Helps An Old Sōtō Priest Favorlessly Meet Birth and Death

This post continues the series on the teaching of the great Rinzai teacher Hakuin Ekaku (白隠慧鶴,...

February 12, 2018

Will You Be Aware of Your Own Awakening?

This past week, I received an email from...

February 05, 2018

Tears of Love, Tears of Resentment

Studying Hakuin, the real guy keeps showing up -...

January 2018

January 29, 2018

The Zen Priesthood: A Fold of Failures

This post continues the series on the teaching of Hakuin, the 18th Century Japanese Rinzai...

January 22, 2018

Hakuin’s Advice for How To Attain Kenshō

The road passes among cresting mountains, Winding through thickets and vines; The border of the...

January 15, 2018

Wump – There It Is

Kuang-hui asked Nan-yuan, "What about before the wooden fish wumps?" "Looking at the sky, not...

January 07, 2018

Hakuin on Kenshō and the Bodhisattva Vows

In my last post, Who Is This Hakuin Guy?, I gave some background for Hakuin...

January 05, 2018

Who Is This ‘Hakuin’ Guy?

Recently, I interviewed a prospective student for...

December 2017

December 30, 2017

It’ll All Get Swept Away – And Happy New Year Anyway

Meanwhile, the center is closed for winter break, giving me more time for reflection and...

December 15, 2017

How I Got Dōgen Wrong: Enlightenment, Just Sitting, and the Bodhisattva Heart

"This mind is Buddha" is one of...

November 2017

November 27, 2017

Feet Frozen But Heart Assured: The Mutual Verification of Homeleaving and Householder Practice

I just found this old photo of Tangen...

November 20, 2017

“It Came From Beyond Zen” and What Dōgen Did Not Teach

In this look at Brad Warner's new...

November 13, 2017

Dōshō the Dōgen Hater (Not): A Preemptive Blog For My Dear Critics

I've been working on a review of Brad Warner's new...

November 08, 2017

Who Am I? What Is Death? What Happens After Death?

Above is Zenshin Tim Buckley, a friend...

November 06, 2017

Birth, Death and Intimate Self Knowledge

At the end of the day in most Zen practice centers, a student rises from...

October 2017

October 28, 2017

Zen in Fantasyland

A few weeks ago we were talking about koan. A guy...

October 25, 2017

Long-Distance Train: Remembering Beginning Zen Forty Years Ago

Forty years ago today, I walked into the Minnesota Zen Center building (pictured), met Katagiri...

October 14, 2017

Want to be a Sōtō Zen Priest? Fuhgeddaboudit

I was talking with an Zen teacher friend this past week and he mentioned that...

October 09, 2017

Luòpǔ With One Foot in the Grave

What about when you feel that you just can't do...

September 2017

September 25, 2017

Why “Why Buddhism is True” Truly is an Important Book

Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment by Robert Wright One reason...

September 18, 2017

Two Kinds of Buddhists? Unrolling the Traditionalist and Modernist Distinction

The point of this post is simple. Whether you identify as a Traditionalist Buddhist or...

September 11, 2017

What is the True Buddhadharma? Reflections on the Transmission to China

Katagiri Roshi, who spent most of his...

September 05, 2017

What is a Sūtra? Chirp, Buzz, Woof

Zen doesn't rely on words and Buddhism doesn't have the equivalent of a Bible or...

August 2017

August 29, 2017

Introducing Buddhamental Dharmadisorder 101: Dharmasplaining

I've just learned that the new Diagnostic...

August 25, 2017

A Modest Proposal: Facilitator, Teacher, Adept

Unlike in 1984 when the above photo was taken at...

August 22, 2017

Enlightenment in Dispute: Standards for Zen Teachers Now and Then

How does a Zen student know if a Zen teacher is a reliable guide, a...

July 2017

July 06, 2017

Did Dōgen Drop and What?

"Some Sōtō Zen scholars and priests argue that Dōgen was against...

July 03, 2017

The Record of Going Easy: Who is Arising-Extinguishing?

Arising-extinguishing is the activity of this life-death. The kōan that I'll be presenting today asks...