Posted inBuddhism

Life lesson from a Zen flute master

I gave myself John Daido Loori's "The Zen of Creativity" for Christmas (also bought an extra copy to give to some friends who are artistic types). This morning I came across a story in the book about a Zen flute master that appealed to me. Here's how Loori tells it: When Watazumi Doso came to visit Zen Mountain Monastery, I gave him a tour of the grounds. We came across a plumber who was working on our new bathhouse. Cast-iron piping lay outside the building. Doso playfully picked up a three-foot-long piece and began to play it as though it…
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Posted inReligions

Muslims shouldn’t be afraid of modernity

Every religion is crazy in its own peculiar ways. It's difficult for me to decide which deserves to win the Looniest of Them All award. Christianity deserves consideration for its "born of a virgin" and "walked on water" weirdnesses (among others). Judaism's rituals and requirements are beyond strange (such as the Sabbath Feature on our oven). Hindus are into all kinds of bizarre stuff, including Tantric sexual fluid transactions. But whenever I read about how scared Muslims are of the modern world, I'm struck by how dangerously crazy this attitude is. After all, Islam is the controlling force in many…
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Posted inPersonal/Stories

Don’t make resolutions for the New Year — just live it

When I was in my lengthy religious phase -- three decades plus a few years -- periodically I used to vow to do better. Meditate more concentratively. Follow the precepts of my faith even more attentively. Love God and his earthly emissary, the guru (the non-Christian equivalent of Jesus) more devotedly. The start of every New Year was an opportunity for me to rev up my resolution engine. I'd get all enthusiastic about making great spiritual progress through the energetic efforts I was going to put in. Now, I'm just about at a standstill when it comes to self-improvement vows.…
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