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Mindfulness & Social Action
A transcribed talk given by Michael designed into a beautiful booklet. Michael described this talk as a manifesto for how to talk about spirituality in a post-metaphysical age, used a PowerPoint presentation (the slides are included in the e-book) and said it linked together some of his clearest ideas of the time.
This is a large collection of Michael’s talks that have been transcribed by community members (including a few French and Spanish translations), as well as interviews and articles both with and by Michael. There is also a beautiful, downloadable e-book designed and produced by students.
Out of all of the texts these three are the most popular:
Books that Michael wrote, edited, or contributed to are on the Books page.
Lotus Sutra 7: The Phantom City
Time There are different layers of time. The atomic clock in Boulder measures time through its decay. Time is passing. Is time passing? Is time passing? Is time passing? The body has its own time. We’re meeting in the evening
Lotus Sutra 6: Suffering and Time
Dharma Sequins Mahayana Buddhism is rococo Buddhism, extravagant and spectacular. If you photocopied the Lotus Sutra it would come out of the machine looking like gold sequins. Arhats are the perfected beings of early Buddhism, sternly ascetic practitioners of the
Lotus Sutra 5: Burning
Last Defence at Troubled Reactors: 50 Japanese Workers by Keith Bradsher and Hioko Tabuchi (New York Times) A small crew of technicians, braving radiation and fire, became the only people remaining at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station on Tuesday
Lotus Sutra 4: Scenes
Rule Rebellion When the Buddha died, the sangha built several stupas (shrines). Different parts of the community gathered around different shrines. One of the largest gatherings, of what might be named the maha, the majority of the sangha, had split
Lotus Sutra 3: Or Perhaps a Fingernail
Within 50 years of the Buddha’s death, there were 18-25 schools of Buddhism, all offering different emphases, explanations, practices. What is the keynote of Mahayana Buddhism? We do not wake up alone, we wake up with others. We put aside
Lotus Sutra 2: The Welcome Mat
Japanese Novel Let me half remember that Japanese novel I like to leave under my pillow. I don’t actually read it at all, instead, at night, I invite it to dream me. It begins with a couple on a train,
Lotus Sutra 1: Deep Background
Bow At the end of a sit we bow, and we’re not bowing to the teacher, to this room, or the Buddha. We’re bowing to this moment. Everything that is, is in this moment. Bowing is a beautiful practice. Your
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
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
Support the Library
The Community Library will continue as long as we have supporters. The more support we have, the more we can ensure that the teachings Michael left behind can be available for free to anyone in the world.