Is the Dude a Zen master? His enigmatic pronouncements are certainly food for thought—or nonthought. Roshi Bernie Glassman has created a course of koan study based on some of the film’s best-known lines, which are followed by a series of possible commentaries—from Koryu Roshi, with whom Bernie Glassman passed his first koan; from Glassman’s students KoOn and Mark (his “life [...]
Jeff Bridges on why “The Big Lebowski” is a Zen Buddhist classic
In 2016, we asked ten prominent cultural figures to tell us their favorite movie that contained Buddhist lessons (explitly or otherwise). In honor of the 20th anniversary of The Big Lebowski, here's what Oscar-winning actor and Big Lebowski star Jeff Bridges' told us. Now, it could be argued that there’s no Buddhist theme in The Big Lebowski whatsoever. However, my buddy [...]
Two Practices for Times of Tragedy
Tibetan Buddhist teacher Pema Chödrön and Zen teacher Bernie Glassman both teach three-step meditations that can help foster wisdom in times of tragedy. When tragedy strikes, we can feel like the ground has dropped out from under our feet. The Buddhist view, though, is that these experiences offer an opportunity to directly experience wisdom and compassion — exactly what [...]
Bearing Witness to All of Life
Roshi Bernie Glassman on the three pure precepts — cease from evil, do good, and do good for others — and why they all come down to a single point. Dogen Zenji says of the first pure precept, “Ceasing from evil is the abiding place of laws and rules of all buddhas.” This abiding place is the state of nonduality, of not-knowing and nonseparation. The Sixth Ancestor of Zen [...]
“I’ve Got Friends Here”: Stories from Issan House
Three HIV-positive residents of Issan House, part of the "Greyston Mandala" of Buddhism-inspired social-service organizations, share their stories with photographer, author, and Zen practitioner A. Jesse Jiryu Davis. A few weeks ago I visited Issan House, a supportive housing facility for HIV-positive poor people, an hour north of New York City. The facility was founded in [...]
The Three Tenets of the Zen Peacemakers
Bernie Glassman explains how the three tenets of the Zen Peacemakers work to turn confusion into skillful action. There are three basic tenets of the Peacemaker Order. The first is not knowing—being in the state of not knowing, letting go of fixed ideas. The second is bearing witness—totally immersing oneself in the situations that one is involved in. And the third is [...]
After His Stroke, Bearing Witness to the Gratitude of Zen Teacher Bernie Glassman
A visit with the co-founder of the Zen Peacemaker Order finds him still lively, still inspired, still inspiring. By Rev. Tony Stultz. Twenty-one years ago I met my teacher, Roshi Bernie Glassman, a pioneer of both Zen and Socially Engaged Buddhism. And now, here I was, making my way through the mountains of western Massachusetts to pay him a visit. With me was Dr. [...]
Zen teacher Bernie Glassman, post-stroke, returns home
After suffering a stroke in January, the Zen teacher Bernie Glassman has returned home to Montague, Massachusetts, reports spouse and fellow Zen Peacemaker leader Eve Marko. In a February 25 letter on the Zen Peacemaker site, Marko relates Bernie's departure from Weldon Rehabilitation Hospital in Springfield, and his homecoming. "He came home in a wheelchair" she writes, "but [...]
Update: Zen teacher Bernie Glassman stable, receiving treatment after stroke
On Tuesday, the American Zen teacher Bernie Glassman suffered a stroke. The news spread online, but when Lion's Roar reached out to Glassman's Zen Peacemakers community to confirm the story, we learned that it had not been meant to be shared until Glassman could be better assessed and an official statement was prepared. That statement has now been produced, along with a [...]
Greyston names Mike Brady President and CEO
Via Zen Peacemakers: comes a new announcement about the leadership of Greyston—the Yonkers, NY-based "entrepreneurial and spiritually grounded not-for-profit organization" that began with Bernie Glassman and the Zen Peacemakers' Greyston Bakery, and has grown to include the Greyston Family Inn, the Maitri Center, and Issan House. The statement reads, in part: Mike Brady, [...]
