What I Hate About Zen
Over the course of my life, since my introduction to Zen Buddhism in 1974, I’ve read many books about the various traditions of Buddhism and about Zen in particular. While that statement may open me to criticism from the anti-intellectuals (and they are rampant) amongst the Zen acolytes, I hasten to add that I’ve never fallen into the trap of thinking that reading about Zen is what Zen is about. Reading has always been secondary to my practice. Yet, over the years, there... Read More
The Great Obstacle of Stubbornness
Joseph Campbell remarked that we must recontextualize our mythologies every generation or else the stories will be without value to the latest generation. Many myth cycles we study and cite today occurred during the Axial Age (500 BCE-500 CE). Treting them as influences, we have a wealth of stories to borrow from as we create our own tales. Unfortunately, too often we gaze backwards, pretending those stories fit perfectly in modern society. This can quickly be evidenced by observing... Read More
