“If we are unable to create a new path by which to discover our true nature, the human race may be condemned to disappear. Never in history have we had to face such potentially calamitous dangers… The economic, political, and military systems we have established have turned against us andContinue Reading
by Bill Walz “Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By love alone is hatred appeased” – Buddha We live in deeply troubled times. America seems to be torn apart by a division that has the “Right” and the “Left” of our political spectrum pulled so far apartContinue Reading
Synonyms for the word “normal” are: usual, common, standard and typical. In medicine, “normal” is the standard of care, and it means a person is sufficiently free of pathology and symptoms to function within the “normal” range and people do not usually seek care unless they are falling below thisContinue Reading
“The brain speaks through words; the heart in the glance of the eyes; and the soul through a radiance that charges the atmosphere, magnetizing all.” — Hazrat Inayat Khan (founder of The Sufi Order in the West in 1914) Sometimes, as a way to cut through all intellectualization, I say:Continue Reading
WHAT IS THIS? By Bill Walz “What is this?” – the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng (638–713 C.E.) The practice is very simple. Whether you are walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, you ask repeatedly, What is this? What is this? You have to be careful not to slip into intellectual inquiry, forContinue Reading
“We need enlightenment, not just individually but collectively, to save the planet. We need to awaken ourselves. We need to practice mindfulness if we want to have a future, if we want to save ourselves and the planet.” —Thich Nhat Hanh Dharma is a Sanskrit word; its root word,Continue Reading
An old silent pond… A frog jumps into the pond. Splash! Silence again. – Basho (17th c.) Like every artistic device of Zen, poetry is a finger pointing to here-and-now. It serves to reclaim our wandering minds centered on our egoistic importance and challenges, to startle us intoContinue Reading
By Bill Walz “The arts of Zen are not intended for utilitarian purposes or for purely aesthetic enjoyment, but are meant to train the mind, indeed, to bring it in contact with ultimate reality.” – D. T. Suzuki Zen and the art of (fill in the blank)”Continue Reading
ABSOLUTE PRESENT by Bill Walz “Satori (awakening) is said to take place when consciousness realizes a state of ‘one thought’. ‘One thought’ is the shortest possible unit of time… Thought represents an instant, i.e. time reduced to an absolute point with no durability whatever… when time is reduced to aContinue Reading
