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Zazen in the Modern Age
Finding time for zazen is a challenge while living in the modern world. However, since few of us can retreat to a monastery to pursue our studies, we must find ways to do so within 'the real world'....
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Fleetwood Mac: On With the Show
I was excited to see Fleetwood Mac in Chicago (that's actually the name of one of the band's early records), and it was a strong show. While upper ranges are long gone and Stevie Nicks' twirling far...
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Halloween 2014 - Costume Contest Win (Second Year Running!)
Halloween is over, but I have a second year costume contest win at the TRANsylvania party one of our friends throws. This year, I went as a Killer Klown (specifically, it's Captain Spaulding from the...
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New Horizons: Mission to Pluto
Photo: Hubble Space Telescope Faintly recalling the glory of space missions like the Voyagers, Galileo, and Cassini, New Horizons will expand our view of the Solar System. Although the focus of New...
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Stevie Nicks - 24 Karat Gold (2014)
Given the long breaks between Stevie Nicks' studio albums over the last two decades, I never expected that only three years would pass between In Your Dreams and her next offering, 24 Karat Gold. It's...
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Mumonkan, Koan 30: Baso's "This Very Mind is the Buddha"
Zen Master BasoDaibai asked Baso, "What is the Buddha?" Baso answered, "This very mind is the Buddha." My first reaction was that this wasn't a koan. It's a question and an answer without any riddle or...
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Holiday Bash 2014!
As every year, here are pictures from our annual holiday bash. Thanks to everyone who came and made it - as always - a special way to celebrate the season!
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The Joys of Running: A Potential Prelude
Born to run? For a long time, I had this fantasy of doing a triathlon someday. The idea is attractive because - aside from being a really great 'I did it!" moment - it would provide a goal to direct my...
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Anais Nin - "A Spy in the House of Love"
I know very little about Anais Nin other than her fame for her journals, that her life involved many famous artists and writers, and that a couple collections of her erotica were published...
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Another Point in the Orbit
I'm not much of a believer in New Year's Resolutions or for celebrating the New Year in general. While I certainly don't mind a party, I see little reason to designate a random spot in Earth's orbit...
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Tony Dekker - Prayer of the Woods (2013)
While I listen to all kinds of music, at any given point in my life there is usually one genre I most gravitate to. Over the past year, I've gravitated to music I call roots music. I made up the name...
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Back From New York City
Gawking at a massive meteorite at the MoNH I've been to the Big Apple a few times over the years, but it was always very briefly and always for business. So I never have had a chance to see much of the...
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Mumonkan, Koan 31: Joshu Investigates An Old Woman
Trail to Taisan summit (photo by Scott on summitpost.org)A monk asked an old woman, "What is the way to Taisan?" The old woman said, "Go straight on." When the monk had proceeded a few steps, she said,...
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Mumonkan, Koan 32: A Non-Buddhist Philosopher Questions The Buddha
photo: Leh Ladakh TourismA non-Buddhist philosopher said to the Buddha, "I do not ask for words; I do not ask for non-words." The Buddha just sat there. The philosopher said admiringly, "The...
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Learning Doesn't Require Agreeing
Temple wall painting of the Buddha In today's society, too much emphasis is placed on evaluating whether we agree or disagree with peoples' viewpoints. Even worse, this evaluation is often used to...
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Mumonkan, Koan 33: Baso's "No Mind, No Buddha"
A monk asked Baso, "What is the Buddha?" Base answered, "No mind, no Buddha." The first thing that must be noted about this koan is that it's almost identical to Koan 30: Baso's "This Very Mind is the...
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Bitchslapped by Koan 34
Once I've worked through a koan, I move on to the next one naturally enough. In this case, I received a big surprise when I read koan 34 given my solution to Koan 33. Koan 34 reads: Nansen said, "Mind...
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Mumonkan, Koan 34: Nansen's "Reason Is Not The Way"
Nansen said, "Mind is not the Buddha; reason is not the way."The Buddha in the tree at a temple in Thailand(photo from the blog "Life as you make it...") At first, this koan seems to directly...
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The Garden of Adonis, Suite for Flute and Harp - Hovhaness
A couple years ago, I wrote a post about Diabelli's Serenata Concertante op. 105, because I often play it right at the start of Spring. After the harsh winter we suffered this past year, I'm more than...
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First 5K Run
Heading into the finish I have kept running since I started over the Christmas holidays (excepting a week or two where the temperature never rose above the single digits and the wind chill was well...
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Proud to Run 5K
With the Supreme Court coming down in favor of gay marriage, I don't think it's exaggerating to say this year's Gay Pride takes on a special significance. So it was wonderful to be a part of things by...
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Form and Ritual in Zen
Many forms and rituals can be used in Zen The latest issue of Bodhidharma magazine is dedicated to exploring form versus practice, that is, the way we practice versus the practice itself. All religions...
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Zen Humor
This strip is not focused on Zen as a rule, but the humor of this one is a bulls-eye if you practice. Laughed out loud when I read it, and thought I'd share.
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A Disciplined Mindstate in Everyday Life
One of the biggest challenges many Zen Buddhists face is to maintain the disciplined mindstate we achieve during zazen in everyday life. Despite our best intentions, life’s barrage of deadlines,...
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The Illusion Of Security
In a previous post on the difference between happiness and contentment, I noted that chasing after 'happiness' can lead to a deluded mindstate that creates suffering rather than happiness. This is...
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