1/1/24 No Self and negative effects of meditation. A Monk said to Hui Hai, Ultimately then, there is just nothing at all. Hui Hai replied, We’ve come to the ultimate extent of yourself, but not to the ultimate. When I … Continue reading →

Yun-men said to the assembly of monks, “See how vast and wide the world is! Why do you put on your seven-piece robe at the sound of the bell?” Meditation, and zen in particular, has occupied more of my time … Continue reading →

                              “Know matter and Spirit to be both without beginning…”                                                                                                                 Bhagavadgita Recently, as we sat sipping tea after a short one-day meditation retreat, my friend Hugh brought up the Tibetan after-death scenario, … Continue reading →

Determined to live a life of simple asceticism, in the late sixties I retreated to an isolated shack beside a pond in the foothills of the Sierras (bereft of electricity and such distractions as televisions and phones). I only allowed … Continue reading →

The other day I found a lump in my left testicle. Big enough to almost feel like a third nut. As usual I was unable to get to a doctor right away. Such things always occur on weekends or when … Continue reading →