ronin47
More About Me
My Tagline:
All created things are impermanent. Strive on with awareness" ~ The Buddha
My Interests:
Meditation, Interfaith issues, History, Books, Current events, Politics, Depression, Dating, Zen Buddhism, Samurai Culture, Japan, Movies, Books, Computers, Graphics, Music, Nature, Birds, Collecting Japanese Tea Bowls and Swords, Haiku Poetry, Peace & Social Justice issues.
My Favorite Books, Authors, Musicians, Movies, Preachers, TV shows, etc:
BOOKS: Three Pillars of Zen by Roshi Philip Kapleau, Zen Mind-Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, Shoes Outside the Door(Desire, Devotion, and Excess at San Francisco Zen Center)by Michael Downing, Thank You And OK!(An American Zen Failure in Japan) by David Chadwick, Zen Flesh/Zen Bones by Paul Reps, The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac, Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell, The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi, The Tao Te Ching, Black Elk Speaks by John G. Neihardt, Rolling Thunder by
Who Inspires Me:
Who Inspires Me: Anyone who stands up for the ordinary people who have no voice to speak with, anyone who speaks out against tranny, anyone who serves as a positive role model, and also includes the following:
Rolling Thunder, Thomas Merton, Alan Watts, Alan Ginsberg, Tom Wolf, Michael Moore, Anwarel Sadat, Daniel Ellsberg, George Carlin, GREENPEACE, The Chicago Seven, Black Elk, Timothy Leary, Geronimo, Lame Deer, Karen Silkwood, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Henry Rollins,
My organizations and affiliations:
Mansfield Zen Center, Bamboo In The Wind, Udumbara Zen Center and Sangha.
My favorite spiritual activities:
Being here now!
Who I'm praying for:
Peace in Iraq and Burma!
What is your current spiritual mood?:
Empty
What's your spiritual type?:
Old-Fashioned Seeker - I'm happy with my religion but searching for right expression of it.
About Me
Born in 1950, the year of the Iron Tiger in north central Ohio where I was raised Catholic. We lived in the country and as a child I played in the creeks and climbed the trees, chased butterflies through the open fields, caught lighting bugs on warm summer nights and looked to the heavens and counted the stars. This gave me my life long love of nature as well as, camping, hiking and swimming in the Mohican State Forrest most of my life. I love birds and have fed and studied hummingbirds since 1985. Thought of becoming a Catholic priest in grade school and again in my mid thirties. I can remember that there was always a spiritual awareness as well as a connection to the earth from a very young age.
I left the Catholic church when I was 16 and later wandered spiritually through the late 196o's and early 70's when I was in my twenties I tried to be politically aware and was very angry about the Vietnam war, unfair drug laws and the killings of the four students at Kent State University just a few miles from here. I studied Native American religions and Eastern Philosophy including Taoism and Buddhism and 
more recently became a Lay Ordained Zen Buddhist in 2006. My Dharma name is,"Doryu" ~ Way of the Dragon. I also participated in Lakota Sioux sweat-lodge and pipe ceremonies for a few years (1990's). And was active in the local peace group, Citizens For Peace & Justice.
I was married for three years back in the 80's. I became Catholic again at this time and was interested in the Catholic Worker Movement and inspired by people like Dorthy Day, Thomas Merton, Daniel Berrigan, Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.. I also was working on becoming a Third Order Franciscan, a religious order for lay people in the tradition of St. Francis of Assisi. But I left the Catholic church again after my divorce in 1989. I worked in two major factories here that are now gone and been a part of two national labor unions. The town I grew up in is where they shot the movie "The Shawshank Redemption". In 1991 I retired due to my health and lead a peaceful life now running a local zendo. I love Japanese culture and would like to go to Japan some day, if I can ever find a way. I love the Japanese tea ceremony and have my own tea bowl and tea instruments. I like haiku, bonsai plants, katanas and tantos (samurai swords) and Zen gardens. I love music and all types of instruments like guitar, sitar, flute and especially hand drums.
I thank all the people who have become my friends here. I have a Zen web site: www.mansfieldzen.com if you are interested, check it out. And I'm also on MySpace: myspace.com/dharmablues or myspace.com/mansfieldzen You can contact me there if you would like to.
In peace,
Ronin47
TO LIVE YOUR LIFE WELL
My Basics
Gender: Male
Occupation: retired
Faiths:
Buddhist,
Faith Description: Soto Zen Buddhist, Taoist, Agnostic, Anarchist, Nature, and Native American Spirituality.
ronin47's Journal
Posted: Aug 28, 2008 4:11 PM
The old monk sat by the side of the road. With his eyes closed, his legs crossed and his hands folded in his lap, he sat. In deep... (more)
Posted: Dec 26, 2007 10:52 PM
Suffering is our best teacher. It will not be persuaded by any pleading of misery to let go of us. If we may say to a human teacher,... (more)
My Photos
Audio/Video
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1: ZEN VARIATIONS |
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2: Brad Warner- Hardcore Zen |
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3: Japanese Shakuhachi Flute |
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4: Boulevard of Broken Dreams |
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5: Hey Man, Nice Shot! |
ronin47's Friends
Friends: 49
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August 29, 2008 - 10:37 PM