Book Excerpts
The Guidepost of Silent Illumination
Hongzhi Zhengjue was a 12th century philosopher and Zen master in China who authored a large number of philosophical texts as well as the seminal
July 13, 2020
Why I Write – Nicholas Trandahl
Religion and faith are two of the most difficult subjects to write about according to Nicholas Trandahl, author of the poem, The Chapel.
Why I Write – Caroline Goodwin
Writing can be anything, from self-discovery to incorporating pain to establishing direction, according to poet Caroline Goodwin, who featured in The Dewdrop a couple of weeks ago with her poem, Not I’ll Not, from her book, Custody of the Eyes.
Why I Write – Cuong Lu
Author Cuong Lu is a student of Thich Nhat Hanh and has worked for many years as a prison chaplain.
Why I Write – Les Kaye
Les Kaye is the Abbot of Kannon Do meditation center in Mountain View and the author of the books Joyously
Why I Write – Danielle Pieratti
Can writing with your wrong hand beat writer’s block? Are maternity leave and creativity at all compatible? Danielle Pieratti, The
Why I Write – Ben Connelly
Ben Connelly is a Zen teacher at the Minnesota Zen Center as well as the author of several books including
THE BEATS
BROWSE BY THEME
Shiva transcendence Death humanity Alan Watts Devi questions time Essay Reality Compassion Enlightenment existence Unity Mind faith life Chinese Zen Spirituality American Poetry Japan learning transience Vigyan Bhairava Taoism religion Rinzai impermanence memoir Author Q&A Solitude friendship Moon being Huineng philosophy zazen Koan Bodhidharma knowledge prayer A Sense of Something Greater Meditation The dewdrop Fear Poetry Water China Pico Iyer Beat Wisdom beauty meaning Loneliness Shunryu Suzuki desire Dogen poet psychoanalysis imminent experience Chan Rebecca Solnit Wumen Huikai nothingness Literature salvation infinite Gary Snyder home Darkness awareness Les Kaye Kodo Sawaki Chinese Poem love Sutra transition Kannon Do Dying Writing Buddhism Poem Satori Practice Communication Sandokai marriage Zen Buddha Christianity loss nature Thomas Merton Children language Awakening snow Suffering listening Nirvana memory the Way separation Self Freedom COVID-19 Spiritual Practice Centreing Shobogenzo Emptiness Silence truth science Sufi Mary Oliver ryokan Happiness Advice Ego community Chuang Tzu race attention Jack Kerouac Travel Violence Relationships conversation Thich Nhat Hanh isolation Process Belief church Trees Inspiration God change pain Intuition strength perception Walt Whitman Sadness dharma Mumonkan Allen Ginsberg Courage Zen Flesh Zen Bones Aldous Huxley consciousness
MYSTICS
Eighteen Thousand Universes Through Eighteen Thousand Eyes
The Sacred is the Everyday – Joan Chittister
Thomas Merton on Solitude, Authenticity and Being
Gurdjieff and The Two Rivers
Blinded by the Sun – St Teresa of Avila
“Don’t Tell Me Who I Am Yet. It Is Still Being Spelled Out”
Kabir – The Moon Shines in my Body
Rumi’s Guest House
POPULAR READS
FROM THE ZEN GARDEN
Bankei and the Unborn
17th century Zen master Bankei on the Unborn, the unconditioned mind that comes up spontaneously and is fundamental to every person, without exception.
Am I Conscious Now?
“What does it mean to ask a question? Is there some magic in the inquisitive brain?” Susan Blackmore’s lifelong investigation into consciousness encompasses Zen practice and the recurring question: Am I conscious now?
The Bhaddekaratta Sutta: The Sutra on Knowing the Better Way to Live Alone
The Bhaddekaratta Sutta is one of the many teachings the Buddha gave over the course of his 19 three-month practice periods at the Jetavana Monastery. It conveys the essence of a self-sufficient practice and way of existing – not clinging to the past or living for the future but diligently dwelling in current stability and freedom.
You Must Go Beyond All Words – Ajahn Chaa
Achaan Chaa was a Buddhist monk in the Thai Forest Tradition who taught a simple practice in nature that did not depend on reading or studying.
Chiyono’s Enlightenment Poem
Adachi Chiyono (also known as Mugai Nyodai) was the daughter of a samurai warrior in the 13th century who became the first woman – and mother – to found and head a Zen monastery in Japan.
Phil Jackson and the Zen of Basketball
‘Selflessness is the soul of teamwork’ was former basketball coach Phil Jackson’s mantra when coaching his players in the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jijuyu Zanmai – Master Dogen’s Self-Receiving and Employing Samadhi
The Jijuyu Zanmai is the second section of the first part of Dogen’s Bendowa – ‘The Endeavor of the Way’ and concerns the experience of zazen
Being Intimate with the Essence of the Teacher’s Practice
This biographical snippet, taken from the introduction of Tenshin Reb Anderson’s book Being Upright, tells a bit of the story of how he met his
Mitsu Suzuki on Teaching Tea Ceremony
Mitsu Suzuki was the wife of Shunryu Suzuki who accompanied him when he moved to the United States from Japan in the 1960s. After her
Just Take One Step – Dainin Katagiri
Dainin Katagiri came to the United States in 1963, originally to help out at the Zenshuji mission in Los Angeles, before moving up to San
DT Suzuki on Eckhart, God’s Love and Prajña
DT Suzuki was a Japanese philosopher whose work helped to introduce Zen and Buddhism to the West in the time before it became a popular
Be Like One Moment is Ten Thousand Years
Kodo Sawaki’s reluctance to ever fully associate himself with a temple or a Zen institution earned him the nickname, ‘The Homeless Kodo’. He was considered one
