Abbot John’s dearest wife, Nanci died on New Year’s Eve after a long struggle with illness. Dear Abbot John, We send you our deepest condolences on the wings of two poems from masters who offer what… Our Deepest Condolences to Our Former Abbot John
Please SCROLL DOWN to the BOTTOM of the Page ____ ZATMA offers something new for those who’d like to stay in touch. Receive notices of new essays and news from ZATMA when they are posted. Scroll down to… SOMETHING NEW
This draft attempts to describe some of my strongest tendencies and activities primarily during my adult life. This initial effort may include assertions and observations that are fanciful, incomplete, or perhaps untrue. I have found… Spiritual Travels: What Brought Me to Here, A Monk’s Training Log
And now if any be ignorant, let him be ignorant. I know not what more to say and not transgress the Silence of Pythagoras.” – Sir Isaac Newton, Alchemical manuscript, The Regimen (MSS 1032B RB… ALCHEMICAL DETACHMENT AND INTEGRATION Part 2 by Ming Zhen Shakya
This biography is about an ordinary woman. A householder. Married. Children. Work. Aging. Illness. And all the ordinary things of life….except in the middle of it all, she looked for Truth….something universal, bigger than material interests….in this short bio you see her perseverence and determination to keep going, keep looking. It is inspiring as it is ordinary. Well worth the read. A wonderful reminder….begin and continue.
I felt an overwhelming sense of power – like God must feel when he’s carrying a gun.” — H. J. Simpson’s apology upon being expelled from the National Rifle Association for misusing a firearm.… ALCHEMICAL DETACHMENT AND INTEGRATION – Part 1 by Ming Zhen Shakya
This short essay is for the wobbly spiritual seeker. The one who finds himself repeating again and again the same old mistake, namely, thinking the world of things, known as samsara, will ultimately pay… We Worry About Things That Don’t Last
Nienfo Chan/Nembutsu Zen is the most common practice taught in China to enter the gateless gate of Zen. It consists “simply” in the recitation of a sacred or symbolic name, such as the name of… Introduction to Nienfo Chan/Nembutsu Zen and the Traceless Mind by Fashi Yao Xin Shakya
This is an ancient method used in Chan practice. It is a question asked over and over again and in all circumstances, such as “Who am I?” The question, if done with sincerity,… The Basics of the Hua T’ou Method
