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I began Zen practice in 1983. I’d become interested in “spirituality” after abandoning a steady job to join a band of scruffy folkies touring Europe in 1979. I think I was looking for something to lean on in a time of insecurity. I read Krishnamurti, Gurdjieff and lots of other mumbo jumbo but felt strongly […]
When asked to write a little about my experiences of Zen practice I had to think long and hard. I have practised for so many years now the memory banks have got a little dusty! I’ve decided, as I write, just to let thoughts and feelings flow, mixing highs and lows as they arise. I […]
I left education when I was 29. I had cocooned myself in its embrace for 6 years. I felt I had found myself, found my friends, found my love of life. Experimented! I took photos, studied film and criticised some of the world’s greatest art pieces. Thinking I knew best. I spent many hours sat […]
As a fairly extreme addict of zazen and of shikantaza (“just sitting”) in particular, spending most of 2020 unable to sit up for more than a few minutes meant that the mechanics of my practice needed to change. One option might have been to stop sitting but that somehow never occurred to me; my addiction […]
“Koans are not for me”, I used to think. “My practice is woefully inadequate. Koans are for serious and accomplished practitioners of Zen”. “Besides”, I would go on, “I live too much in my head. Koans would only make my head even fuller of words and distract me from the practice of being in the […]
When I thought about the subject of sesshins past I was a little surprised that the memories of sesshin that came up weren’t of any particular sesshin or of the the long hours in the zendo, much as I honestly love the sitting. Instead what popped up were other accompanying moments. Wandering leisurely through the […]
As part of a series of posts about sesshin gathered for the StoneWater Zen newsletter, here Roshi shares a very condensed diary of three weeks spent at Zen Mountain Center, California, August 4th, leave Manchester Airport 12 noon. Arrive Ontario airport, Los Angeles, 8pm, eight hours behind UK time. Tenshin meets me. Drive through desert […]
One of Roshi’s recent talks where he asked us to talk about our difficulties with zazen reminded me of a retreat I did with the Chan group in mid-Wales. This was about 2 years ago and was one of the final retreats before Maenllwyd closed for good. As always, we began in the old farmhouse,15 […]
In September and October we ran two online sesshins. The aim was to replicate, as far as possible, a physical sesshin, with extended sitting periods, interviews, work periods (samu) and services. There were also suggestions provided for meal preparation and other shared samu activities. The feedback for both these events was very positive. Whilst everyone […]
Sesshin used to be an even more special place than it is today, and that is saying something. Sesshin was Special because this was where that SOMETHING was going to happen. Exactly what that SOMETHING was was not clear to me, and I couldn’t put it into words. I don’t think I even realised I […]