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Zen Dojos Are Not Churches

Looking over some of the responses to my previous blog post, I think I am starting to get a handle on why I find myself so often at odds with the way a lot of people think about the matter of welcoming-ness and inclusivity in Zen. In that previous blog post, I compared Buddhist centers […]

Is American Buddhism Really "Too White"?

Is American Buddhism Really “Too White”?

According to the Pew Research Center, Buddhism is the fourth most racially diverse religion in America. In fact, American Buddhists leave everyone except the Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Muslims in the dust.  The numbers are staggering. Less than half of American Buddhists are white as compared to other religions like the Episcopal Church […]

Peace of Mind

Kodo Sawaki said, “You lack peace of mind because you’re running after an idea of total peace of mind. That’s backwards. Be attentive to your mind in each moment, no matter how unpeaceful it might seem to be. Great peace of mind is realized only in the practice within this unpeaceful mind. Real peace of […]

Objective Reality and Stubbed Toes

In an essay called “The Mountains and Waters Sutra” (Sansuigyo), Dogen says, “ways of seeing … water differ according to the type of being: There are (heavenly) beings which see what we call water as a string of pearls… Demons see water as raging flames, and see it as pus and blood. Dragons and fish see water […]

Boys Be Ambitious!

Here’s another one from the mail bag: Dear Brad, Since sitting more regularly I have noticed I am absolutely plagued by “if only’s!” And, thinking back, pretty much always have been. Mine revolve around my drive and ambition; if only I had any! I recently listened to a series of talks by the neuroscientist and […]