(L-R) The author and Charles S. Prebish at Moscone Center West, San Francisco, CA, for the 2011 American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting, November 21st, 2011. Photo by Bill Aiken of SGI-USA.

I don’t go every year, but I did attend this past year’s American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting in San Francisco only a few weeks back. Among the many rich and joyful opportunities it provided — including seeing Gary Snyder read poetry, visiting with a number of former professors and students, and watching Cornel West give Scott A. Mitchell a big hug when Scott introduced himself — the best part for me was getting to spend some quality time with the astonishing Charles S. Prebish and his wonderful wife Susan.

I’ve blogged in the past about Chuck, whom we can thank for (among many, many other things) coining the phrase “scholar-practitioners” and firmly establishing the study of Buddhism in North America as a sub-discipline within academic Buddhist Studies. Now retired from Utah State University, he is the author of more than twenty books, including the absolutely essential, must-reads Luminous Passage: The Practice and Study of Buddhism in America and Buddhist Monastic Discipline: The Sanskrit Prātimoksạ Sūtras of the Mahāsāmg̣hikas and Mūlasarvāstivādins. In addition, he is the co-founder of The Journal of Buddhist Ethics, the Buddhism Section of the American Academy of Religion, and Routledge’s “Critical Studies in Buddhism” series. Most recently, he was very deservedly honored with the “festschrift” Buddhist Studies from India to America: Essays in Honor of Charles S. Prebish in 2005, which acknowledges the tremendous debt our field owes him for all of his myriad efforts.

Chuck is also the author of a brand new, absorbing memoir entitled An American Buddhist Life: Memoirs of a Modern Dharma Pioneer (from Sumeru Press). Besides being incredibly honest and beautifully written, the book pioneers a kind of writing we desperately need to see more of from Buddhist scholars, practitioners, and scholar-practitioners: memoir. Chuck’s life has brought him into contact with some truly remarkable figures in the study and practice of Buddhism — everyone from Richard H. Robinson to Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche — and his reflections about them not only “make history come alive,” but also bring new dimensions to our understanding of the scope and shape of Buddhism and Buddhist Studies in America in the twentieth and twenty-first century. At the memorial service for the late Leslie Kawamura at AAR, Chuck has expressed hope that others will write similar memoirs, and I think his book will always serve as a shining example of why that’s a really, really, really good idea. (As an aside, regular readers may recall that I interviewed Chuck and John Harding, who also spoke at the memorial, about Dr. Kawamura for Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly Online last year.)

Anyway, Chuck has really been a hero of mine in many respects. People often tease me about doing a lot (too much?), and I think at least some of that comes from being really inspired by how much people like Chuck have done to contribute to the growth and development of Buddhist Studies and Buddhism in America. We wouldn’t be where we are without the incredibly hard, dedicated work of people like Chuck.

On top of that, he’s an incredibly kind and generous guy, whose interest in and enthusiasm about some of the things I’ve tried to do has meant the world to me. I want to be for my students what Chuck and a few special others have been for me.

Anyway, hanging out with Chuck and Susan made my year.

By way of closing, I wanted to alert you all to Chuck’s latest venture with Damien Keown (who has been a mentor to my great pal Justin Whitaker of American Buddhist Perspective): two new e-books. (Regular readers may recall my past mention of their other efforts on this front.) This by way of H-Buddhism (The Buddhist Scholars Information Network):

Damien Keown and Charles Prebish would like to announce the publication of their latest ebooks. Both ebooks are available for Kindle ebook readers at Amazon.com and for all other ebook readers (as well as Kindle) at Smashwords.com.

Damien’s ebook, “Buddhism and Bioethics” is the first book to discuss contemporary issues in bioethics from a Buddhist perspective. Written in a clear and accessible style by a leading expert in field, and drawing on both ancient and modern sources, it shows how Buddhist ethical teachings can be applied to a range of controversial issues like abortion and euthanasia. It’s price is $9.99.
@ Smashwords
@ Amazon

Chuck’s ebook, “Looking West: A Primer for American Buddhism” is a short, basic introduction to one of the fastest growing new religions in America. It provides all the historical, doctrinal, and community information a curious person would want to know about Buddhism in its American home. It highlights all the key figures and religious practices employed by the various Buddhist communities in America. It’s price is $9.99.
@ Smashwords
@ Amazon

Check them out, folks! I’m picking up copies of both right now, and they’re going right to the top of my reading list. I recommend you do the same.

I have many wonderful memories of Munindra-ji, including sitting with him at our group’s last dinner together with him in Bodh Gaya.  (I remember him asking me a little bit about my home state of Indiana, and checking in with me periodically to make sure I was getting enough to eat and drink.) One of my very first teachers, he was a truly extraordinary little man who left an indelible impression on me.

I was fortunate to interview Knaster and her co-author (and my old boss) C. Robert Pryor for Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly Online. I hope you’ll take a look.

The author in a state of hibernation.

In case you hadn’t noticed, I’ve not been conforming to the “new format” of the blog for quite some time, let alone posting much at all. This is due to a combination of factors, including an overwhelming schedule and some unforeseen personal business. It’s also due to some bits of news that will once again change how we do things here at dannyfisher.org.

First, as you may have read, the astounding Adam Tebbe at Sweeping Zen and I are now regularly blogging for Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly Online as Digital News Contributors. Pretty much all of my “Buddhist news” content will appear there from now on (and also via my Twitter feed @RevDannyFisher). Keep an eye over there — Adam and I will be doing our part to help the Shambhala Sun Foundation team bring you all the need-to-know news of the Buddhist world.

Second, I’ve also joined the new team of Buddhist bloggers over at Patheos! I’m honored to be in the company of friends and admired colleagues: Roshi James Ishmael Ford, Justin Whitaker, and Dosho Port. I’ve done my first post, and have more on the way. The new space will be home to what was the “Buddhist Studies” section of this website. Rather than a podcast, though, I’ll do a series of short videos about the Robinson/Johnson/Thanissaro book that I was previously walking listeners through. I think this will be good for several reasons, not the least of which is that it will force me to keep things pithy! Your questions and comments there will, of course, be most welcome. So please keep an eye on www.patheos.com/blogs/dannyfisher/.

As for this space, I think it will become more like a traditional website, with posts used mostly to point you in the direction of work I’m doing elsewhere (like some of the last few posts). I do hope to continue posting occasional video dharma talks and urgent actions here as well. In addition, there will always be other material to post that won’t fit anywhere else. So please don’t take us out of your bookmarks just yet!

I feel quite fortunate to be asked to contribute to larger efforts elsewhere — I’m really a very lucky guy — but I also want to take good care of this space. It’s been really important to me in my own growth and development, in large part because of the connections it has created with readers like you. Though pieces of it are now going elsewhere, you can always find me here. I hope that together we can keep talking and sharing and growing here. I don’t say it enough to those of you who are reading, and now seems like a good time: thank you.

(L-R) The author and Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne at University of the West, Rosemead, CA, October 31st, 2007. Photo by Julia Stenzel.

I can’t quite believe I get to write the title of this post. Honestly: my life is pretty amazing sometimes.

I hope you will take a moment to read my short interview with engaged Buddhist icon, Sarvodaya Shramadana leader, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and hero of mine Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne at Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly Online. You’ll learn things. I promise. I did.

(L-R) Jack Kornfield, Jane McGonigal, Ethan Nichtern, and the author at Buddhist Geeks | The Conference, University of the West, Rosemead, CA, July 30th, 2011. Photo by Linda Hayward.

I’m very proud to be one of the initial signers of an open letter from Buddhist and yoga teachers and leaders in support of the Occupy Movement. You can read the letter and see the initial signers here. The authors are our friend Ethan Nichtern (see above) and yoga teacher Michael Stone.

If you’re a Buddhist or yoga teacher/leader, you can sign on at http://occupysamsara.org (and I hope you will.)

In addition, you can read about my participation in the Global Day of Action for Occupy Wall Street, and watch a video of my dharma talk written for Occupy LA, here.

At an opening weekend screening of Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" at the ArcLight Hollywood, Hollywood, CA, May 28th, 2011. Photo by the author.

The Tree of Life, this year’s Palme d’Or winner from reclusive American auteur Terrence Malick, is the most extraordinary and moving experience I’ve had at the movies in my whole life. Would that every film were this ambitious and deeply felt! That said, it’s decidedly not everyone’s cup of tea. For me, though, as one who made the final decision to leave film studies as an undergraduate after encountering Mr. Malick’s other works — “I can’t make better films than that,” I thought. “And he’s saying and doing the things I’d want to say or do with the medium, as well as things I didn’t realize I would want said or done with the medium. I have a spiritual and aesthetic kinship with this man.” — it’s very much my cup of tea.

I’ve reviewed the film (as well as all of Mr. Malick’s other films in a way) for The Journal of Religion and Film. I hope you’ll take a look. Most of all, though, I hope you will see the film…

The author at Occupy LA, October 15, 2011. Image by Sarit Photography.

Last weekend, I participated in the Global Day of Action for Occupy Wall Street by being present at Occupy Los Angeles and marching to City Hall. I also spent a good deal of time doing “protest chaplaincy” of a sort: because I was wearing my vestments, many people approached me for conversation, pastoral care, and even prayer. I tried to be proactive and seek out others to talk to as well. I also took some time to enjoy myself as well by partaking in some “Buddhist fellowship” with one of my UWest students, Joseph Rogers of Against the Stream, and his lovely family (including his brilliantly talented wife Sarit).

In addition — and much to my amazement — I ended up being quoted and written about in CNN.com’s feature on the Global Day of Action, which you can read here.

I also wrote a dharma talk for the occasion and recorded it at home. It is posted below. (I had meant to record the talk from the event itself…but I had my hands full being a Buddhist chaplain, and that seemed much more important.)

(L-R) The author with Joseph Rogers at Occupy LA, October 15, 2011. Image by Sarit Photography.

Several Buddhist teachers have commented on the Occupy movement, and there have been many good “round-up” pieces in the Buddhist blogosphere. (Just today, in fact, Tricycle did one.) I’m slowly catching up on all of them. I especially loved my e-pal Bodhipaksa’s piece for Wildmind. I wish I’d looked at it before I did mine — we both talked about the Kutadanta Sutta as it turns out. Though we both say different things about the text, I would have picked a different sutta had I seen Bodhipaksa’s piece before I wrote mine: my commentary on the Kutadanta Sutta only suffers in comparison to his. Make sure you read it.

Another piece that is also definitely a must-read is David Loy’s “Waking Up from the Nightmare: Buddhist Reflections on Occupy Wall Street” for our friends at Shambhala Sun Space. Do take a look at that one too.

All right, enough stalling… Here’s my talk:

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BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• “5 Facts You Should Know About the Wealthiest One Percent of Americans” by Zaid Jilani for Alternet.
• “The Bankers and the Revolutionaries” by Nicholas Kristof for The New York Times.
• “Alan Grayson: The Best 2 Minutes On Why We Should All #OccupyWallStreet” at MoveOn.Org.
• “Poverty in the United States: Frequently Asked Questions” at the National Poverty Center | University of Michigan.
• “The Kutadanta Sutta: On True Sacrifice” translated by T. W. Rhys Davids at the Buddhist Publication Society.
• “An American Autumn: A Yom Kippur Meditation” by James Ishmael Ford for Monkey Mind.