My friend Rob recently told me about a film project called The Nature of Existence. A fellow went around the world asking eighty five "big questions" to various folks; religious leaders, folk...
Hello again, everyone! Im sure youve all noticed the lack of blogular activities from your favorite, go-to website for Zen practice and spirituality. Ive just not been feeling particularly creative i...
Native basketry, at the Heard Museum (Phoenix, AZ). Isnt it great?Im reading another book by my favorite author Derrick Jensen. This one is called What We Leave Behind, and its about, well, what we l...
My friend Koji and I were stopped at a red light this evening. A homeless-looking fellow was walking down the sidewalk. He had a big beard, and his clothes were torn and dirty. I thought he might hav...
Shoheis kesa, from his blog, Robe!In the Soto school of Zen Buddhism, there is a particular veneration of the kesa, the Buddhist robe. As far as I know, all the different orders of Buddhist clergy we...
I got a job! As you may know, Ive been working on an as-needed basis at the psychiatric hospital, as a mental health technician, but I just got hired for full-time work. The schedule is exactly what ...
I went to a bit of a party last night. My friend Matt, who I know from the Austin Zen Center, is in several bands. One of them, The Black, is going on tour for two months or so, leaving today, so it ...
Some folks seem to take some pride in not liking Valentines Day. I dont really get that. Sure, theres the crass commercialization of romance, but our culture seems to do that to everything, and one c...
Edward Hopper, Sunday (1926)from The Onion: Americas Finest News SourceJourney Of Self-Discovery Leads Man To Realization He Doesnt CareFEBRUARY 10, 2011 | ISSUE 47•06FLAGSTAFF, AZ—Three mo...
Mark Rothko, 1903-1970All the greats have a vision. The Buddha had a vision of society where human suffering was taken seriously, and he actually created an alternative, parallel society that is stil...
Santoka Teneda, a Soto Zen Buddhist priest who lived from 1882 to 1940 is my favorite Japanese haiku poet.Giovanni Bellini, St. Francis in the Desert, The Frick CollectionThere are two collections of...
El Grecos Sts. Peter & Paul, at Google Art ProjectYay! I got my first spiteful blog comment ever! Ive been waiting for something like this. Up until now, the only "hate mail" Ive received...
The crowd in Tahrir Square, Cairo, on Friday, the Day of DepartureThis photo just about says it all. Ive been following the news from Egypt pretty closely for the last week or so. Theres been so many...
The Cathedral, by Frantisek Kupka, 1871-1957One time I was walking down a street with my teacher in San Francisco. This fellow came up to us shouting and making like he was trying to pick a fight. He...
Two students in England spent the equivalent of US$560 to construct a styrofoam box containing a camera and a GPS device attached to a weather balloon. In around 3 hours, the balloon rose to he...
Do you have kids? Do you send your kids to public school? If so, be glad you dont live in Giles County, Virginia, because if you did, your kid would be going to a school where excerpts from the King ...
1,400 year-old oak tree, from stylefrizz.comI grew up in a town called Phoenixville in Pennsylvania. My home was on the edge of the borough proper and Schuylkill Township. Until fairly recently,...
I lived with Lou Hartman at San Francisco Zen Centers City Center from August of 2006 to December of 2009. When I first moved in, Lou would come to the basement zendo most every day for zazen, and ta...
1st Lt. Stephen J. Hunnewell, US ArmyBuddhist Soldier and two-time Bronze Star Medal recipient, 1st Lt. Stephen J. Hunnewell is currently serving with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. As a Civil Affairs...
Clifford Still, 1957, from the SFMOMAI gave a talk at the Austin Dharma Punx on December 19, 2010. If youre in Austin and youre looking for a friendly and informal forum for discussion of Buddhist pr...
a0;Here is a video from a Boston TV news station, an interview with two-time Bronze Star recipient 1st Lt. Stephen J. Hunnewell, currently serving in Afghanistan. What isnt mentioned in the intervi...
Bill Maher recently put this Christmas message on YouTube. He uses Oprahs "Favorite Things" episode, where she gives her audience a lot of really nice and rather expensive stuff, as a startin...
Hi, everyone! Today is turning into a fine day. Yesterday, I went to the UT library and borrowed Jawboxs self-titled 1996 release, which I am listening to right now. I think the last I heard this was...
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