El Filósofo

Notes from a Zenned-Out Catholic

Blog

  • Hirayama and My Father

    People like to complain about work, and I can understand why. For many (if not all) of us, it is frustrating since it is often something we find ourselves needing to do rather than wanting to do. Common quips about having a “9-to-5” reflect this attitude: a person is certainly more than what they do!… Keep reading

  • Hinduism

    Believe it or not, when I was staying at a Benedictine monastery, I was never told to read the Bible. No, only book I was recommended (by a monk who enjoyed listening to heavy metal) was the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu classic. It was fitting that a monk who enjoyed metal would recommend it to… Keep reading

  • Religion: For Shits ‘N Giggles

    I want to try something a little bit different. Usually whatever I post here is nothing more than a fanciful thought that I’ve lingered on more than another for a short period of time. Other times, they are questions that have beguiled me for some time, and so writing is my means of processing those… Keep reading

  • Criticising Criticism

    Years ago, my mother was looking through a book of letters written by some famous author and felt inspired to write me one. Amongst the many things she said, she lamented the fact that letter-writing is a dying art. While our means of communication are far more convenient nowadays, letters generally required that more thought… Keep reading

  • The Ethics of Korobu

    I would like to begin today’s reflection with this, a pondering of a Biblical verse that I mentioned last week: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) I expect most people would read this anachronistically, supposing that Jesus is referring to his death on the… Keep reading

  • Greater love has no one than this

    God knows I have my gripes with this country (politically-speaking); however, the American Constitution states that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” and I believe that is a fine statement! Indeed, for the time… Keep reading

  • Zen and the Art of Longboarding

    One of the best books I’ve ever read (without a doubt) is Eugen Herrigel’s Zen and the Art of Archery. The book is a short tale about the author’s time in Japan as he studied a special kind of Japanese archery under a Zen Master, who emphasised its spiritual aspect. For him, hitting the bullseye… Keep reading

  • Fully Human

    The glory of God is a human being fully alive and to be alive consists in beholding God. Saint Irenaeus I am sometimes amazed at the lengths to which people will go in order to become “fully human” or “fully alive”. Gurus, saints, sinners, and seekers have all sought ways to attain this sort of… Keep reading

  • Laundry and Taxes

    Like I said, it’s the gift that keeps on giving, so today I’m going to talk even more about what by this point I can safely call my favourite movie of all time: Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. (I have already written about it twice, here and here.) In case my ramblings haven’t yet inspired… Keep reading

  • Loving Anger

    So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Revelation 3:16 In our culture, the feeling of anger has a bad reputation, and this is not entirely without reason. Anger, after all, often comes across as distasteful or rude. It is seen as unproductive, or… Keep reading