Summer Time Zen

Summer arrives without argument. It does not announce itself with doctrine, but with cicadas in the trees, birds proudly singing their songs, grass rising after rain, the sunlight and humidity resting on us as if it has nowhere else to be.

In this season, once again, nature is our quiet teacher. So many of us are grasping for spiritual lessons hungrily, when our teacher has been here all along. I call her Mother Earth, or Gaia. She has all the intelligence we need, as her offering to us.

Buddhism , Community , Fusatsu, rev john karn dd, Apriel JessupSearcy, zen, KwanzaaRev. John Karn, D.D.July 1, 2026summeer, zen, rev john karn

When One Door Closes, Another Door Opens

A doorway is a promise, but the hallway between them is where our practice is tested.

In Buddhism, we often speak of impermanence — the truth that everything is always

shifting, dissolving, and becoming something new. When one door opens and another closes, we’re reminded of this constant flow.

rev john karn dd, Community , Collective action,, blog, shared responsibility , three Mountains sanghaRev. John Karn, D.D.May 17, 2026doors, spiritual, opportunity