everything zen

Zen Flesh, Zen Bones – compiled by Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki

February 28, 2014 by Bob Leave a Comment

Zen Flesh, Zen Bones is a collection of Zen and pre-Zen writings compiled by Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki. First published in 1957, the book remains a comprehensive and relevant introduction to Zen philosophy. According to the publisher: Zen Flesh, Zen Bones is … a collection of accessible, primary Zen sources so readers can struggle over […]

Digitize Salinger and Other Literary Pursuits

I was going through a “Why Didn’t I Read This in High School?” phase, and J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye was up next on my reading list. I was eager to download a copy of Salinger’s classic novel onto my Kindle. I’m a firm backer of the digital publishing revolution, since ebooks let […]

The Art of Casual Drowning

Just in time for the summer swimming season, here’s a story about how I almost drowned in a friend’s pool a few years ago. “Catch me, Daddy! Catch me!” “Okay. I’m ready” I thought I was, too, treading water a couple of feet from the end of the diving board. I lifted my arms up […]

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

War is hell, and perhaps there is no more fiendish quality to armed conflict than the loss of humanity that comes with being a wartime soldier. Life is simultaneously priceless and cheap. There are a million ways to die during a war and Louis Zamparini manages to avoid all of them in Unbroken: A World […]