runbei

It’s strange that something I have puzzled over for fifty years should suddenly come clear to me now, simply because it was someone else who asked me the question. It has happened to me often, however: I’ve pondered something for years, but only when the same question was put to me by someone else did … Read more

I have made occasional reference in these pages to the karmic threads or patterns of coincidence that run through human life. Those patterns can be discerned not only in the lives of individuals, but in the vast tapestry of history with its panorama of nations, cultures, and religions. History, as has many times been said, … Read more

I had to get a permit from the Building Department before beginning construction at the meditation retreat. At the Building Department I learned that I also needed a permit from the County Health Department. Hal Cox, the Superintendent there, placed us in the category, “church camp.” Had we been categorized otherwise, we’d have needed a … Read more

As I reflect how I breasted the waves in towing Ananda to shore, I realize that those efforts were, in a sense, a repetition of what I had put into the “Delhi project” in my efforts to obtain the Indian government’s approval. There, too, I had faced obstacles that seemed, and that everyone agreed were, … Read more

My first thought had been to let others come and build near me. Matters didn’t turn out so simply, however. This step would have meant, for most people, a major commitment. To me, the commitment seemed quite simple, but then, they hadn’t been through years of mental and spiritual preparation for it as I had. … Read more

Our first need was for water. I didn’t want a repetition of the story of the city of Fatehpur Sikri near Agra, India, constructed before anyone checked to see whether water was available. (There wasn’t any, and the city had to be abandoned!) Herb Radel, a local water diviner from Nevada City, was recommended. He … Read more

It was January 1967, when I first heard of Richard Baker. Soon thereafter, by an interesting coincidence, I also met him. I heard of him from Jeannie Campbell, the receptionist and general secretary for the print shop where my first three books were printed. I had lively discussions with Jeannie, a dedicated Zen Buddhist, on … Read more

An almost universal denominator of thinking during the ‘sixties was a tendency deliberately to cloud one’s ideas in a sort of impressionistic haze. This style of self-expression may have derived from Zen koans, but it fitted admirably a decades-old practice in the arts. I, by contrast, did my best to make my ideas as simple, … Read more

It now became necessary for me to relate to the world more realistically. No longer did I have a monastery as a home base, nor brother monks to give me spiritual support. Virtually every influence to which I was exposed, monks would consider worldly because motivated by a desire for ego-affirmation. I’d already dived into … Read more

Dr. Chaudhuri recovered from his heart attack, but asked me if I wouldn’t remain teaching at the Cultural Integration Fellowship ashram and share the load of teaching with him. Thus, I continued giving Sunday services bi-weekly, and (if memory serves) at least some of the mid-week classes. Meanwhile, it seemed to me the time had … Read more