Original Face Archives

Ruth Ozeki on aging, facing up to oneself and one's appearance, and the Buddhist practice of contemplating death and decomposition.

Book Bits, Japanese Texts, Texts, The Masters

Master Daito’s Original Face

October 7, 2019December 19, 2019 Vanessa Able

Daito Kokushi (also known as Myocho Shuho) was a monk born in Japan just a generation or so after Dogen's death and is widely celebrated in the Rinzai tradition. The founder of Daitoku-ji monastery - which still stands today - Daito is best known for the (probably apocryphal) tale of his decision to shun institutional… Continue reading Master Daito’s Original Face

Orhan Pamuk on Writing By Hand
Orhan Pamuk's hand-writing habit hasn't budged, despite the conventions of our time.
How We Live Is How We Die: Pema Chödrön on Preparing for Death Here and Now
Pema Chödrön on what the Tibetan approach to living and dying can teach us about liberation in the present moment.
The Path that Goes Nowhere – Barbara Brown Taylor on the Practice of Labyrinth Walking
Barbara Brown Taylor reflects on her own experience of Labyrinth-walking and the significance of the path without a destination.
What Can the Earth’s Crisis Teach Us About Ourselves? David Hinton’s Tao of Ecology
David Hinton on what Taoism can teach us about Deep Ecology and how we can reconnect with our own ancient Paleolithic roots.
‘When the Lights of Health Go Down’- Virginia Woolf on Being Ill
Virginia Woolf on our relationship to illness, its potential spiritual value, and the mysterious intelligence of the body.

Michael Grimwood – God Ecology
Poet Michael Grimwood takes readers on a journey into divine realms of leaf, blossom, and holiness with his imaginative poem "God Ecology".
Stacey Elza – To Build a Bow
Juxtaposing the antagonistic nature of humanity with the protective and peaceful side, poet Stacey Elza offers readers "To Build a Bow".
Ricardo Gonzalez-Rothi – Faraway, near Nordfjordeid
Redolent with the folklore of the cold north, Cuban-American poet Ricardo Gonzalez-Rothi offers a magical poem, "Faraway, near Nordfjordeid".
Why I Write: Jenna Wysong Filbrun
In the wake of her new collection, Away, we reached out to poet Jenna Wysong Filbrun to find out more about her motivations and process.
Jenna Wysong Filbrun – Aspiration
Jenna Wysong Filbrun reminds us that we have so much to learn from the natural world, with her poem "Aspiration".

Tag: Original Face

The Difficulty of Looking at Your Own Face

Master Daito’s Original Face