Tom (Jan 26, 2004 – May 5, 2020) Beloved canine companion and collaborator Tom died at age 16, in Vancouver. Tom succumbed to cancer, in the late evening of May 5 at home surrounded by us. Tom was a force of nature and creative spirit. He enjoyed being outdoors and going for walks and hikes….
Nov 25 Lesson from Sugi: Even dog bowls can be “shibui” Sugi says, “I enjoy a lovely piece of pottery from which to sip water” In the summer of 2012, Greg, Tom and Sugi and I were enjoying our camping holiday on Saltspring Island touring the studios of local potters. We had visited Meg Buckley, known for…
This post is Inspired by Robert Carter’s and Graham Parkes’ writing on Zen aesthetics specifically the role of rocks in Zen landscape design. Nov 12 Lesson from Tom: Dogs like rock energy Tom says, “I love to jump from rock to rock and run on the uneven surface” Living on the Westcoast, one can’t help but appreciate the power of mineral world:…
This post is inspired by Robert Carter’s discourse on ethics in his book Becoming Bamboo. He integrates views from Western philosophy and Zen Buddhism. Zen practice is inseparable from ethics. It is a way of life, a ‘spirited caring and effective willing’. Oct 12 Lesson from Tom: Dogs are attuned to their human’s emotional states and often mirror this state back to the human….
This post is inspired by “Every-Minute Zen” a classic Zen koan reproduced in Zen Flesh Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-zen Writings, by Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki. (North Clarendon, VT: Tuttle Publishing, 1985.)** Oct 4 Lesson from Tom: Pay attention to the present moment, it’s the only one there is! Sugi says, “When I’m walking, I take…
