Back. Again.
Now it’s been almost 3 years and things have changed quite a lot. I am finally (finally!) in Dallas and near my old home base zendo, Maria Kannon Zen Center. I have visited with Ruben Habito, my first Zen teacher, and been assigned the koan “Mu”. My practice is shaky but I think it is off to a reliable start.
I am going to shift the focus a bit on this blog. I decided a few months ago to start searching for a Zen monastery to, hopefully, spend my remaining days practicing and living the dharma. I am collecting information on residential Zen centers in the US (and occasionally another country) and slowly making a list of those places where I might fit in and those that definitely won’t work. I plan on making my decision over about a year’s time. I made the mistake of moving into a place that was not compatible with my nature. I know we are supposed to adapt to our environment and not the other way around, but that only works up to a certain point. Beyond that, it becomes a heroic struggle that I cannot commit to.
So, this blog, long, unused will become a tool for me to make that decision. This blog will also become a place where I can work out my day to day problems in the world. Something so self-centered may be considered an oxymoron used within the context of traditional Buddhism. But no matter how difficult it is, I must do it (to put a twist on the vows).
So there it is and we will see how many years it is before I post again.
