Toledo Buddhist

Really loving the direction that my Aikido practice is going in these days.  My teacher Bill Gleason Sensei has connected with an Internal Power/Aiki teacher named Dan Harden who is helping shed some light on the hidden inner work that Morihei Ueshiba O'Sensei was introduced to by Sokaku Takeda Sensei , who was introduced to it himself by Honshina Chikanori (Saigo Tanomo) and back into the mists of time... How wonderful to find that the teachers have teachers, and that one need not be born from the side of a virgin to be of some use in the world...

Had a very helpful conversation with my teacher James Ford Roshi this morning. Luckily we are able to be in touch, and it is a great help to me as Rev. Do-on and I navigate the business of leading the growing organization that is the Toledo Zen Center. Every thing that arises is a teaching, each a chance to bring the practice to life, not in some kind of idealized other-worldly kinda way, but in the grit and grime of "What are we gonna do with this?" Others who resonate are interested in exploring alignments and asking for support, complex and important policies need to be discerned, and then there are always the personalities, oh yes. In all of this, one thing is abundantly clear - but some things shouldn't be spoken now, should they... And then there is the body. I successfully completed the fasting yesterday, and to my astonishment I survived. In fact, it's near noon of day 2 and I'm not hungry at all, even after I did a rather intense morning workout with...