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Love, Death, And Oak Trees In The Garden
On silent retreat Michael Stone talks about the Zen koan “Oak Tree in the Garden,” as well as the meditation practice as “a politics of love.” He describes in detail the Buddha’s death.
Preceptions
A commitment to ethics begins with recognizing that everything we do makes waves. These waves begin in body, speech, and mind, and ripple through our lives and the lives of those around us. Although we often think of ethics as
On Track with Paul Newman
Between blockbuster movies, car racing, and salad dressing, Paul Newman was one of the world’s most recognizable celebrities. Yet, says Michael Stone, he was one of those rare people who could sit still and watch the rainfall. I’d seen Paul
Form & Emptiness: The Role of the Body in Meditation Practice
Michael Stone uses the teachings on emptiness to work with the body. He calls sitting “physical practice” and he describes yoga as “psychological practice.”
Bring Me Something That Isn’t Medicine
Michael Stone opens a silent retreat talking about seeing everything as medicine and how meditation teaches us how to practice intimacy, even with old wounds.
Beginner’s Mind 6: Throw Up and Bow
Bow How do we bow? Our hands are in anjali mudra. Anjali is a Sanskrit word meaning prayer. We bring both palms together so we can feel both sides of the body. The palms are a fist distance from the
Beginner’s Mind 5: How to Sit is How to Act
Just Die Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind is a collection of talks given by Shunryu Suzuki in the 1960s. Let’s boil it down like an overzealous cook. If the book were a slogan it might read: Express yourself right to the
Beginner’s Mind 4: Grateful for the Weeds
Below the belt is uddiyana bandha. Above the belt is pizza. When you sit you’ll start to see that the intimate details of your life is what your practice is all about. Never mind about nirvana – it was all
Beginner’s Mind 3: Appreciation
Isn’t that a wonderful and simple thing? Brown rice practice. Simple. Nothing added. Are we here to gain enlightenment? Are we here to be free? Or are we here to appreciate our lives? Or, is there a difference?
Beginner’s Mind 2: Spare Time (Hahahaha)
Zen can be quite a performance sometimes. Especially when the teacher is letting one fireball after another out of their mouth. But Shunryu Suzuki (author of Beginners Mind, Zen Mind) speaks in a more modest way. When he’s done there’s
Beginner’s Mind 1: Taking Care of Each Other
Prologue to Zen Mind, Beginners Mind by Shunryu Suzuki In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few. People say that practicing Zen is difficult, but there is a misunderstanding as to why. It
My Practice, My Snake
The Buddha famously compared his teachings to a snake. A snake? My dharma, he said, is like an elephant, like a raft, like a city. Like a snake. He is speaking in the language of his time. It’s fourth century
About the Community Library
Michael was a great archivist and the Community Library was—and continues to be—a labour of love. Everything in the Community Library is available for free. Anyone, anywhere can have instant access to material that will help them deepen their practice and contribute to a culture of compassion and collaboration.
Libraries are places where we gather alone together. They are known to be places of refuge for seekers, as well as those who are marginalized. This library is no different. It helps us nourish our beautiful, international community without walls. Now, it will also help keep Michael’s legacy alive.