30 Questions With Nishijima Roshi
In a recent video I read aloud an email that I received in 2006 from my teacher, Gudo Nishijima Roshi. Some folks wanted to see it written out. So I dug out the email and here it is. On the video I corrected some of Nishijima Roshi’s grammar as I read the email. But I […]
How Can I Get My Friends and Family Into Zen?
One of my most frequently asked questions goes something like this: Zen practice has been really good for me. But my husband / wife / brother / sister / uncle / best friend / worst enemy … etc. is struggling with a lot of problems. How can I introduce her/him to Zen practice? My honest […]
Using This Critical Moment as a Teaching Device
We think we understand the world we live in. We think we know what it is. We’ve been taught to see it in a certain way. We’ve been taught what is important to pay attention to and what we can ignore. We have accepted a point of view. But, if we sit quietly and observe […]
Am I a Zen Priest?
I got an email that went like this: I ordained this summer, going through Shukke Tokudo. According to my teacher I can therefore refer to myself as an official Zen priest. However, I’ve also encountered other Zen priests both outside and inside of the Soto tradition who claim that such an ordination does not mean […]
Panpsychism? Didn’t Even Know Him!
I’d like to talk to you about panpsychism and how it is related and not related to Buddhism. First, what’s panpsychism? Several people sent me this article from Scientific American called “Does Consciousness Pervade the Universe?” by Gareth Cook. It was posted to Scientific American on January 14, 2020 so it’s pretty new. It says, […]
