About Human Koan
Human Koan describes my lived experience as a Zen Practitioner. While some discussions are narrowly focused on formal Zen topics, others attempt to describe my daily life engaging with the world and those pesky challenges that force much deeper work. All the bashing and thrashing on the cushion is so simple relative to entering the shared experience of living. My hope is that you are skillfully entertained and can learn from my many takes and mistakes.
My (short) Story
I started practicing Zen around 2010. I was a high tech professional who started to feel like some life fundamental was missing.
My parents were Christian Scientists and that formed my religious training until my early teens. Many of those early religious beliefs didn’t match my daily experience. As a result, I was non-religious for more than 30 years.
In my 50s I started looking for something to fill what was missing. Zen seemed exotic – which was probably the reason for my initial attraction – however, I knew nothing about Zen. As a Zen practitioner, I have found Zen to be more grounded in reality than any other world view.
I helped establish a Zen Center in Corvallis, Oregon around 2020. During covid I moved from Corvallis to the mountains, retiring in 2024. Our dog Tug graciously accommodates my wife, daughter, and me in Tug’s small cabin in the Cascades.
Currently I am a member of the Zen Community of Oregon (ZCO) and I do week-long silent meditation retreats (sesshins) at the ZCO Monastery in Clatskanie, Oregon whenever I can.