Do Magic Mushrooms Work Like Meditation?
Let me try this again. Every time I make yet another attempt to explain the difference between the experiences available through the use of hallucinogenic drugs and the realities of long-term meditation practice, I vow that it will be the last time. And then a few months later I find myself doing it again. My […]
I’m On Drugs
Actually I’m not on any serious drugs right now. But yesterday I was. I’ve always been headache prone. But in the last couple weeks it’s gotten really bad. So I’ve been going to doctors trying to figure out what was happening. Yesterday, on the way to zazen at Hill Street Center the pain got so […]
Buddhist Superstition is Just As Much Bullshit As Any Other Kind of Superstition
Recently someone sent me the following email: I have a question – what’s your impression of The New Kadampa Tradition and the practise of “worshiping” or “venerating” Dorje Shugden? Is this all hogwash, or is there something of value in Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s teaching or is he just another charlatan? I replied: I’ve heard the name […]
Food Poisoning and Teacher Training
Actually, there’s no connection I can think of between food poisoning and teacher training other than that I got an e-mail asking me about teacher training while I was suffering from food poisoning. This photo is from the last time I got food poisoning, back in the year of our Lord twenty-ought-five. Nobody took a […]
Silence is Always Available
How about this? Tomorrow we will make our first attempt at conducting a true life Zen morning service. This may end up looking like a Zen morning service or it may end up being a complete train wreck. For you see, dear reader, I shall attempt to train people how to do the ceremony (which […]
