In the village, blossoms come and go I live quietly watching the clouds return.
– Ryokan
I am a solemnly professed member in a dispersed ecumenical monastic community of Benedictine solitaries and hermits. In the community I am known as Brother Thomas Andrew.
I was raised as a Methodist and eventually became a member of the Episcopal Church where I was very active for many years. In the late 1980s I was studying the writings of the Catholic monk Thomas Merton and became intrigued by his interest in Buddhism, Zen in particular. It’s my nature to delve deeply into things, and I read everything I could find on the subject.
Of course, in those days there was no internet, and it was difficult to find a Sangha close to where I lived, so almost all of my learning came from books. The Three Pillars of Zen was particularly influential for me, and I began to practice shikan-taza on my own.
After my wife died and my son graduated from college, I joined an an Episcopal Benedictine monastery. During this time I continued to practice zazen. I lived there for 10 years and eventually became the Prior.
As unfortunately too often happens, our Abbot was involved in a scandal that caused the monastery to close. A few years later I joined my current community, the Community of Solitude. We are an order of monastics who live separately but communicate on a regular basis for mutual support and encouragement.
While on this long spiritual journey I encountered Daily Zen. I began using the meditation timer each day and and greatly enjoyed the daily postings. Over the years I have spent more and more time reading the journals, teishos and other writings.
I have come to appreciate the rich and varied content available here and continue to use the meditation timer daily, always read the daily postings and especially appreciate listening to the recorded teishos, often while driving.
I’ve continued to be drawn more deeply into Buddhism and recently joined the sangha at a Pure Land temple very close to my home. Although I am a hermit, I need and enjoy the friendship and personal interaction with others that I find at the temple. I am fortunate that my community encourages interest in other religions and these days I identify myself primarily as a Buddhist.
Daily Zen continues to nourish and enrich me in so many ways. It is an essential part of my daily life and practice.
