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The Reverend James Ishmael Ford is a Unitarian Universalist minister, a Zen teacher, and an author.
Over the years he has led Zen groups and Unitarian Universalist churches, several occupying the same physical spaces. He currently guides the Empty Moon Zen network, and serves as consulting minister to the First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles.
He is deeply interested in the currents of the spiritual life, particularly in that place where cultures meet. He finds social and particularly political engagement a natural outcome of the spiritual quest.
James has written or edited five books, mostly addressing aspects of the Zen life. His most recent is an Introduction to the Zen Koan. His articles have appeared in Buddhadharma, Tricycle, and the UU World.
He is married to Jan Seymour-Ford, a retired librarian. They live in the Alamitos Beach neighborhood of Long Beach, California, together with their three-legged cat Cassie. Source
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Recent Articles
Search ArticlesHot Anger: Meeting Anger in Zen Practice
Gustave Dore 1861 “Curs’d wolf they fury inward on thyself prey and consume thee.” Dante’s inferno Continuing talks from Empty Moon Zen teachers. Here Dharma Holder Mo Myokan Weinhart explores the 9th of Japanese Zen’s ten grave precepts. In her work life Mo is a consultant specializing in strategic operations and leadership.
A Zen teacher writes a novel describing the Spiritual life
Priest’s Tale It has been said if all Zen monastics and priests and dharma successors were killed, and the whole of Zen’s spiritual literature were burned; by the next day or at the most, two, people would be waking up. The terms they would use to describe all this would be different and the practices would be a little different. But the same intimate way would be reborn. Please forgive he shameless self-promotion.
Nanquan Cuts the Cat: A Jesuit commentary on a Zen koan
Cheshire Cat John Tenniel 1865 (This article is by my friend Ken Ireland. Ken is an old Zen hand. A few years back one of his teachers suggested he begin formally training for authorization as a teacher, but declined the offer. Ken was educated at Dartmouth College, with advanced studies at Harvard Graduate School of Design, Woodstock College, and the Jesuit School of Theology. His MDiv studies focused on sacred scriptures, theology, and spiritual direction.
The 250th Fourth of July
Signing of he Declaration of Independence. Engraving by Charles Toppan for the American bank note company, July 4, 1840 Today is the Fourth of July. The 250th anniversary of the founding of what would become the American Republic. The good and the ill of who we are are woven so fine. From the beginning there was an astonishing amount of high idealism, and along with it some serious sharp dealing.
The Selling of Zen at the End of Religions
Zen at the End of Religion I received a note today from a book marketer. It’s the second of its sort I’ve seen directed at me. I really liked what it offered as a summation of Zen at the End of Religion. *** Among the most intellectually generous and spiritually honest books to come out of the contemporary Zen and post-religious spirituality space is Zen at the End of Religion.
On Taking Refuge in the Dharma
Zen teacher bowing (Here I continue the feature of sharing talks and essays by teachers within our Empty Moon Zen community. This is a talk by Dharma Holder Tom Wardle. A householder teacher, Tom works as an Executive Coach. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Hult International Business School. He is also a graduate of the Zen Peacemaker’s Seminary for Socially Engaged Buddhism.
Easy, Right? A Dharma Talk
Zen priest Kosho McCall bowing. (Continuing my intention to share talks and essays by other members of Empty Moon Zen’s teacher’s circle, here I’m sharing a talk from a recent retreat by Dharma Holder Mo Weinhardt. It has also been previously posted at my Substack page. Mo has been a student of Zen for more than twenty years, starting with the Zen Peacemakers. She officially began working with me in 2009.
The Subtle Art of Bowing: A Dharma Discourse
Zen priest Kosho McCall bowing. (This presentation was first offered by my dear friend Dharma Holder Tom Wardle. He has generously aloud me to reprint it here.) Tom Wardle is an Executive Coach, Spiritual Director, and Zen Teacher. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Hult International Business School. He is also a graduate of the Zen Peacemaker’s Seminary for Socially Engaged Buddhism.
STOP THE WAR: Commenting on a Zen koan
Battle at Lanka from the Ramayana Sahib Din 1649-1653 (At the recent Empty Moon Zen Saturday Zazenkai, Dharma Holder Mo Myokan Weinhardt gave the dharma talk on the koan “Stop the war.” I asked her if I could reprint it at my Monkey Mind column, hoping to see it get the wider readership it deserves. She graciously consented. ) Once, many years ago when Tom and I were living in the Bay Area, we went to sit one evening with David Weinstein Roshi’s Rockridge Meditation Community.
Only Beauty Can Save the World: James Hillman at 100
Woman and child with globe, 500 Piastres, Banque de I’Indo-Chine, 1939 The Archetypal psychologist James Hillman was born on the 12th of April, in 1926. Which means he’d be a hundred today. He looms in my inner life. In an unfinished memoir I touched up him and his acolytes and all that. I began taking classes at Sonoma State University, studying psychology while Jan finished up some general education requirements at several local community colleges.