Autobiography of a Boo Boo
A Mini-Memoir of Spiritual Adventures
The bulleted links on this
page lead to a series of postings I wrote in 2007 for my ongoing blog “Random Thoughts.” They’re
an attempt to make sense of the decades I’ve spent pursuing meditation and The
Big Questions of Life. They touch on my experiences with childhood ponderings,
academic and personal philosophizing, psychedelic trips, and traditions in the
spiritual sub-culture, including the “Siddha Yoga/SYDA” organization founded by
Swami Muktananda (which I followed 1979-84), and the Korean-style “Kwan Um
School of Zen” founded by Zen Master Seung Sahn, aka Dae Soen Sa Nim (with
which I’ve been involved 1988-present). I focus on what’s led to my continuing
fascination with Zen, particularly how I was stunned by my first retreat with
this school.
I hope these reflections are of
some interest and amusement to those on similar paths, and look forward to any
comments you have, or stories of your own (please email me with anything you’d like to
share). You’re invited to see my more recent writings by visiting “Random Thoughts,” and add
your own comments there also. My personal website, which I update less often,
is here.
As a preface to the memoir, I
did a posting to summarize the Zen practice I do currently:
·
Practice
And here are the chapters of
the memoir itself, which I’ve collectively entitled “Autobiography of a Boo Boo.”
Many thanks for taking a look!
·
1: Something
(Rather Than Nothing)
·
2: India
·
3: Zen
Master
·
4: Finger
in Socket
·
5: Sitting
·
6: Smile
·
7: Like
Space
·
8: Buddhism
·
9: Why?
·
10: Epilogue
(Up to Your Ass in Analogies)
And while you're here... check out some video of Zen Master Seung Sahn (clips compiled for his 3rd-year memorial in 2007), who figures so prominently in my story: