Writing
A living body of essays and reflections on meaning, presence, and living well in a complex world.
An Autobiography in Five Chapters
AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN FIVE SHORT CHAPTERS by Portia Nelson Chapter I I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk I fall in. I am lost ... I am helpless. It isn't my fault. It takes me forever to find a way out. Chapter II I walk down the same street. There...
Soldiers of Humanity
Once a division of the Japanese army was engaged in a sham battle, and some of the officers found it necessary to make their headquarters in Gasan's temple. Gasan told his cook: "Let the officers have only the same simple fare we eat." This made the army men angry, as...
Empty your Cup
A university professor went to visit a famous Zen master. While the master quietly served tea, the professor talked about Zen. The master poured the visitor's cup to the brim, and then kept pouring. The professor watched the overflowing cup until he could no longer...
Zen Story – A family of Burglars
A Family of Burglars Noticing that his father was growing old, the son of a burglar asked his father to teach him the trade so that he could carry on the family business after his father had retired. The father agreed, and that night they broke into a house together....
Ten Zen Bulls
The Story of the Ten Zen Bulls My personal journey with the Ten Zen Bulls has been more than a decade, and a truly beautiful part of my life. There is no doubt the world is changing, looking for something illusive. In sharing this metaphor and my musings, it is my...
Know Thyself
Well I suppose it would make sense that in my first foray into the world of blogging I should define what I mean by using "Spiritual & Bloke" in the one sentence. Perhaps the best place to start is not with my words, but rather those oft poorly quoted words from...
Zen
Zen is very simple… Who are you? In this whole world everyone searches for happiness outside, but few souls find the inner path. Everybody says, “I” – “I want this, I am like that…” But nobody understands this “I.” Can you remember before you were born, did your I...
Stay Connected
If this work resonates, you’re welcome to stay in the loop.
Occasional reflections, new posts, and conversations, shared quietly and without noise.
No Spam, unsubscribe anytime
