When I first was introduced to Zen Meditation at the San Francisco Zen Center (SFZC) in Green Gulch Farm in Sausalito, I learned the four Bodhisattva vows. One day last week, I woke up thinking about these vows and what they meant to me and then the following came in an email: THE BODHISATTVA PATH […]
Meditation is an Exercise for Developing Willpower
In these words of wisdom from Roy Baumeister and John Tierney from their book, Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength we learn that meditation is an exercise for developing willpower. By participating in daily meditation, we develop our willpower in other aspects of our lives. Religious meditations often involve explicit and effortful regulation of attention. […]
The Leonard Koan
These words of wisdom from Leonard Cohen form what is called the Leonard Koan! Not much has to be said about the amazing singer musician Leonard Cohen. He is pretty famous in all circles. He is now turning 80 on September 21, 2014. Many people don’t know the other side of Leonard Cohen. He was […]
In Memory Of Myogen Steve Stucky
I just learned that Zen Master Myogen Steve Stucky passed away on December 31, 2013 – just a couple of days ago. He was a wonderful man and beloved teacher. In the 1980’s, I sat Zen meditation with him in his home in Mill Valley with many other devoted students. He will be deeply missed […]
A Poem About Inner Life By Norman Fischer
Zoketsu Norman Fischer is a Zen priest in the tradition of Suzuki Roshi. When I first started learning Zen meditation in the mid 1980s, he was one of the priests I really connected to. I felt honored to be able to have dokusan (a private interview with a Zen teacher) with Norman some time around […]
Zen Meditation Practices Instructions
I did my first Zen meditation sesshin in 1972 at the San Francisco Zen Center with Zen Master Dainin Katagiri Roshi. A sesshin is a seven to ten day intense immersion in Zen meditation practices with instructions. Every now and then, you get to have a face to face meeting, called dokusan, with the Zen […]
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