- Why did Master Rinzai slap Jo?
A monk asked Master Rinzai about the essence of Buddhism, and Rinzai slapped him. Why?
- The Real Shit Stick
Unmon said that Buddha is a dry shit stick. Why? Where is Buddha in this regular, shitty, unsatisfactory experience?
- Running in Circles
Running a long race, serving a prison term, practicing Zen: I'm trying to learn how people appreciate each moment in an eon.
- Why Generosity Turns To Rage, And What To Do About It
If someone needs more effort than I expected, or if there's no payoff, I can lose my temper. How can I have a Beginner's Mind about generosity?
- Living While Dying Is Tasty
My mother plans to die at 85. What will that final year be like?
- Memorial Day Dharma Talk
My father-in-law is a soldier and my mother is a peace activist. Buddha's Middle Way allows us both to honor veterans and to oppose war.
- For Or Against?: 9/11 and The Precept of Non-Killing
On the 15th anniversary of 9/11, I describe my difficulties practicing nonviolence in a world full of violence.
- I Saw You Fall So I'm Helping
Women have been excluded from the software industry for decades, but we can change this. A talk I gave at the Village Zendo on May 22, 2016.
- Dharma Talk at Sing Sing: Joy And Pain of Bearing Witness
On Saturday, I saw Sara Bennett's photos of women paroled after years in prison. On Sunday I talked about them with my prison sangha.
- A Fierce Tiger
Training ourselves, bit by bit, to be liberated from fear and to live wholly.