Author Archives: EmptyCloudWestZen

[AUDIO AND TEXT] The late leader of the Montreal Zen Center, Albert Low (who, by the way, declined to use the honorific “Roshi”), published a book in 2013 titled, What More Do You Want? Zen Questions, Zen Answers. This book is quite a rich read; in it, the author accepts questions from his students andContinue reading “practicing through the dryness”

[AUDIO AND TEXT] Earlier this week, I read a newspaper account of a George Floyd death-anniversary commemoration. The article said the Minnesota governor “issued a proclamation for a moment of silence lasting nine minutes and 29 seconds, the amount of time a white officer’s knee remained on Mr. Floyd’s neck…” A “moment” he said shouldContinue reading “who minds the flow of life?”

[AUDIO AND TEXT] Often, Zen teachers tell students to avoid setting goals and expectations for their Zen practice – not to expect any results. “Zen is not a self-improvement program,” they say. “You’re already enlightened and awake,” they say. And then they turn right around and list various qualities that students can cultivate through practice:Continue reading “why do zazen?”

[AUDIO AND TEXT] Zen practice is easy. All we have to do is sit still and pay attention. And we don’t even always have to sit still; we practice every moment, doing whatever it is we happen to be doing, being mindful of whatever it is we happen to be doing. If we’re lucky, weContinue reading “letting go of “letting-go””

[AUDIO AND TEXT] These past few days and weeks have seen some momentous events in the country. I don’t need to enumerate them for you. But many are saying that we have reached a pivot point, an inflection point, in the country’s history where social justice – especially racial justice – is concerned. My responseContinue reading “being in balance”

[AUDIO AND TEXT] If you’ve read much Zen literature, or even studied some koans, you’ve probably seen or heard references to “weeds and grasses” – sometimes together, sometimes separately. These terms are often-used pointers to stuff that’s beside the point, stuff that’s extraneous to what is here and now, stuff apart from Just This. Here’sContinue reading “weeds and grasses”

[AUDIO AND TEXT] We come here with nothing. That is, when we’re born, we have only our bodies, our brains and other organs, and possibly some propensities and talents. Whether we really have propensities and talents at birth depends upon where you come down on the nature vs. nurture debate that is, I think, stillContinue reading “shedding our props”

[AUDIO AND TEXT] There’s been a lot of violence in the news lately, most recently the mass shootings in Atlanta and Boulder. These events are painful to witness and experience for everyone, but especially for people of a religious or spiritual bent. It’s natural to wonder where all this violence originates. Or is it soContinue reading “do no harm”

[AUDIO AND TEXT] Sometimes, our practice goes awry. Just like everyday life. One day everything’s coming up roses; the next, we’re in the muck and mire. We can’t seem to move our feet to get out of our own way. Or sitting,  we can’t still those annoying thoughts that come up, or we can’t seemContinue reading “unblocking the way”