When Jishu said, “There are no perfect teachers outside, I have a perfect teacher inside,” I was very happy for her. I felt that she was signaling the shift that had taken place in her relationship to Bernie as her teacher. She was telling me that Bernie wasn’t the perfect teacher. Intellectually, I understood Jishu’s point. I thought what she was saying was brilliant. I quoted Jishu and continued to quote her all these years since her passing.   But her point was lost on me.

What a gift, to be able to share some of what I’ve been given in my life with others. The Zen Peacemakers have been giving me a chance to share some of the gifts from my teachers. Next up, the Zen Precepts.   The Precepts, the Buddhist guides to ethical conduct, could easily have scared me off. I came to precepts with the Ten Commandments in my head. Although the Commandments were not part of my atheist family culture, they were there in the mid-20th century American air of m

Okay, so it’s difficult. I have a lot on my plate. Even retired, there’s family, and Zen students, and doctors’ appointments. I have my writing. How much time do I have for meditation or prayer or chanting?   I’ve been answering that question for a long time now, for myself, for others. A half hour a day is enough. For most of us. Most days. Not every day. There are days, I learned early in my practice, when I am just as agitated after a half hour on my cushion as I was when