Thailand travel 9. Monk chat with Nit and foot massage envy
The young monk’s English is broken, but OK. I have been surprised at the unselfconscious lack of English to date. “Thailand has never been colonized,” the young man explains. Guess a self-confidence comes with that. Of “just being Thai.” He says here in Thailand they belong to the Theravada school of Buddhism. Asks me if I know anything about Buddhism. I tell him I lived for three years at the San Francisco Zen Center. Have meditated for many.
Buddhist Retreat Center on CNN top 10 list
The Buddhist Retreat Center in rural Ixopo, South Africa, has been named by CNN as one of the world’s Top 10 meditation retreat centers. Those who know the BRC, which opened in 1980 and attracts mindfulness enthusiasts from around South African and internationally, are not surprised.
Antony Osler’s Zen Dust takes you on the road in South Africa
Poetry, politics, mindfulness, laughter, tears, the story of the Buddha and Zen wisdom weave through Antony Osler’s journey ‘home’ along the backroads of South Africa. By […]
Zen and The Art of Sheep Farming
Human Rights lawyer, sheep farmer and Zen Buddhist — Antony Osler is not your average Karoo inhabitant. Story and pictures by Wanda Hennig First published […]
Buddhist Retreat Center celebrates 30 years
Letting go of thoughts; being present in the moment. Tolle — Zen — Oprah’s favorite Buddhist Pema Chödrön — Louis van Loon who founded the […]
Who put the trash out? Who cares!
Story first published op-ed page, Sunday Tribune, Durban, South Africa, on August 29, 2010
It’s Sunday morning at North Beach in Durban. The sun is shining. Somewhere the sardines are still running. The new, improved beachfront promenade is alive with foot traffic. People cycling, strolling, jogging, walking their dogs, walking their kids. The surfers are out; the fishermen are complaining to anyone who’ll listen about their ban from the piers; the skateboarders and BMX-ers are shooting the ramps at their graffitied concrete park …
South Africa has it all. But — what is this?
There’s surf, sunshine, scenery, wildlife — adventure. And when you get tired of the tourist scene, there’s Buddha, dharma and sangha. Prepare to be enlightened! […]
Zen and The Art of Vegetarian Cooking
A visit to Greens in San Francisco is a celebration of the senses. Dip your spoon into a bowl of butternut squash soup and delight in the delicate harmony of lightly caramelized onions and apple confit blended with a hint of calvados. Feast your eyes on a salad that marries fresh ripe figs with Kodata, Mission and Calmyra olives, melon, watercress and creamy goat’s cheese. Inhale and delight …
Visualizations, creativity and the incredible oneness of being
An inner journey can be more spectacular — and revealing — than a trip around the world. And a weekend spent doing something you really […]
The Zen of Food
“In Zen practice we want our intuition — our universal self — to come forth,” says Berkeley Zen Center abbot, Sojun Mel Weitsman Roshi. “When you’re doing simple tasks [like peeling broccoli or breaking lettuce into bite-size bits], your body, mind, the broccoli, the knife, your hand, the breath, are all involved. When you keep bringing your attention back to what you’re doing — when you are simply one with your activity — it’s the same as sitting zazen.”