Crossing Nebraska

  I’m so excited that this labor of love is coming to fruition! Final editing is underway. The beautiful cover artwork by Sophie Binder Designs is complete. I hope to have this book in your hands soon! That Which We Already Know  is about stillness of mind. Part childhood memoir, part spiritual enquiry, part psychological and philosophical exploration,  That Which We Already Know  paints a picture of our fall from grace and ultimate redemption via the recollection of childhood truth: that we arise in this world with an innate capacity to experience stillness. There is nothing for us to learn in this regard. We simply need ease our adopted selves out of the way in order to realize how very much we already know. That Which We Already Know  began as a flash of inspiration upon waking one morning. It seemed that in an instant I saw the arc of my life with perfect clarity. Raised Christian, I’ve been a practicing Zen Buddhist for nearly thirty years. This book recounts how I found solace a

Flag of the nation of Ukraine Dear people of Ukraine,   You are in my heart. I cannot imagine what it must be like to be so brutally invaded on false pretexts by the Russian military. Reports of your fighting spirit in the face of this illegal aggression bring tears to my eyes. I must admit, however, that I feel guilty cheering you on from my place of safety thousands of miles away. You are the ones risking life and limb in this battle, not me. You are the ones whose lives are now so disrupted, not me. So please know that I support you in your choice to fight or retreat or surrender in the face of an untenable situation as your needs and conscience dictate. I am sad, too, for the Russian invaders and their families back home. Due to the lies and manipulation of their immoral leaders, they have become murderers. They have brought shame to themselves in the eyes of the world. We in the United States know the reality of such lies and manipulation. Our previous President was a master o

  I consider myself a fairly non-materialistic person. Yet I never seem to go long without feeling the need to let go of something. Some of this is due to my tendency to hang on for a long time to whatever I do obtain – whether it's something I’ve been given or have bought for myself. Running shoes are a good example. I use them exclusively for running for about a year, then for casual wear for another couple of years, then as house and yardwork shoes for a few more. Lately, though, running shoes have become so delicately constructed as to throw off this gradual transition. They barely make it through the running phase. But I digress. As you may have guessed, I tend to part with things mindfully. Recently I’ve been making my way through a stack of CDs that I’ll most likely donate for a local library sale. I engage in this little ritual of listening to them one last time before letting them go. It’s an interesting exercise. Clearly, if I knew that I still wanted them, I wouldn’t h

  I awoke to the sound of drizzling rain on the eaves. Darla remained fast asleep, so I had the house to myself for most of the morning. New Year’s Day is one of intentionality, at least that is how I intend for it to be, and this one started well. I set a pot of bean soup to simmering on the stove, and sat down to mend my meditation cushion. If you’ve used a meditation cushion (zafu) for any appreciable length of time, you know that the seams will eventually start pulling apart at the weak spots, thereby allowing the kapok stuffing to escape in little puffs whenever it’s compressed. Now, some may think this is a sign that it’s time for a brand new cushion. Au contraire! Sitting zazen is a very intimate activity, you see. One gets used to his or her zafu as one gets used to an old pair of blue jeans. You cannot simply replace an old pair of jeans, and you cannot simply buy a new zafu. It is far easier to learn how to use a needle and thread.   Zafu with seam mended I’ve had this