Imagining ZCLA
The Zen Center of Los Angeles occupies a special place in the history of American Zen and a very special place in my Zen iconography. It...
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IN THE BARDO
Creations are Numberless
Even before I began to sit regularly, I was attracted by the image of the Bodhisattva, the heroic – to me -- Zen figure who defers his...
Oh, Alice
On the end table in Vinnie’s waiting room, opened, waiting for me was a magazine story about Alice Munro. The evening before, eating a...
Oh, Dirk.
In Zen funerals, we talk directly to the departed. I am at a loss for words. I am hoping that words will come. I am picturing you....
Bringing to the Societal Table Those Who Have Been Excluded
This has been the expression of my vow since I found the words in Bernie’s Instructions to the Cook. “Bringing to the societal table...
Visionary Leadership
This has to be the Zen practice. I love the story of the Golden City which the Buddha tells in the Lotus Sutra. It has inspired me. It is...
Magic
Catching the magic is sometimes not so easy. Stumbling into the magic of success is not something to be taken for granted. It has always...
What is Social Action?
The selflessness of social action is not self-neglect just as self-care is not self-neglect. There are four phrases that come to mind,...
No.
What is my “No!” When do I shout it? Do I really shout? “No!” Jesse and Theresa Peterford first met at ICS. Theresa, star teacher, chief...
Infinite Onion
Delusions are inexhaustible, I vow to transform them. When I was doing koan practice with Jishu, very briefly in the last year of her...
Infinite Circle
We were serving special needs students at double the district rate. As we have built our schools, I have been guided by, anchored in an...
Mother's Day 2020
Zen’s relationship to mothers has always seemed a bit strange. Mother’s Day, 2020 is also the twenty-fifth anniversary of Maezumi Roshi’s...
Zen Budgeting Through the COVID-19 Pandemic
No one likes budget cuts. They are always painful. This was shaping up to be our most painful budget. Business people say when they are...
The Zen of Budgeting
Coming Soon, a case study in Zen Budgeting: Budgeting through the Covid-19 Pandemic. I am too grandmotherly. The Gateless Gate is the...
Oh, Richard
At a Zen funeral, we talk directly to the person who has left us. Oh, Richard, thinking of you, I smile. We had so much more to do. So...
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Ken Byalin
Feb 26, 20185 min read
Families First
In our schools, the goal is always to align with the parents in helping their children better cope with the stressors in their lives The...
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Ken Byalin
Jan 26, 20185 min read
Everyone is Unique
We are intentionally designing small schools for the atypical student. The Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. The teacher, the...
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Ken Byalin
Jan 6, 20185 min read
Raising Money
I wear the beads always and everywhere. I wear this 72-bead mala as a necklace. People ask about the beads and sometimes people respond...
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Ken Byalin
Dec 14, 20175 min read
Everyone Is Irreplaceable (Part 1)
Every individual is unique, has value, and no one will ever be replaced. Tough guy bosses often threaten, “No one is irreplaceable.” What...
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Ken Byalin
Dec 1, 20177 min read
Is This Your Dream Job?
Our goal is build a network of schools in which mission aligns with the goals and passions of every member. Zen practices allows us to...
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