Photp by Kristin Dos Santos (w/permission)
Thanks to friend Konchog Norbu for the heads-up on this one — it’s hardly news, but it’s kinda cool when celebs go public with their interest in dharma. Seems David Duchovny (of Californication, X-Files, and Larry Sanders-crush fame) just did a retreat at what sounds to be Zen Mountain Monastery, and he’s told Perez Hilton’s pet-gossip site (yes, you read that right) TeddyHilton.com about the experience.
Again, not news, but at least Duchovny’s not looking for star treatment. “I’m a beginner,” he says, “I’ve only been meditating for a little while. You pay a fee to go for this weekend and what I didn’t know is that even though you pay a fee they put you to work immediately. You go there and first you bus some tables after you eat and they had me working in the garden everyday for an hour-and-a-half. It was fun, I was shoveling horse shit out there. You pay money and then you shovel horse shit!”
Zen, life…. Sounds like Duchovny is getting the basic gist of it.
More here.
When I was a young, bitter punk rock kid, much of the (very small amount of ) light I saw in the world usually came from seeing that others had as caustic and cynical a take on things as I did. One exception, though, was Pianosaurus, a band that absolutely slayed on their instruments – all of which were children’s toys. Their record, Groovy Neighborhood (left), was playful and non-cynical. To my best friend Josh and me, it was summer freedom on vinyl.
I always wondered what happened to those guys. Well, now I have some answers, thanks to Marc Maron and the newest installation of his fantastic comedy-insider podcast, WTF, which features non-comedian Dr. Stephen Dansiger – psychotherapist, happy family man, and lifetime musician who’s played with some great bands, including Pianosaurus. So: why is this relevant to this blog? Well, Dansiger is also a Zen meditator now. (He’s friends, too, with Josh Korda of Dharma Punx.) And he talks about all of this, and how he’s gotten to the other side of some seriously rough times, on WTF. Click here to listen online. Or download via iTunes.
Warning: if you’re not comfortable with the word that the “F” in “WTF” represents, this won’t be easy listening for you. But it’s a good listen nonetheless.
Thanks to friend and reader Konchog Norbu, whose bull-detector went off when he saw this headline on the front of the supermarket tabloid The National Examiner: “Buddhist Beliefs Killed Steve Jobs: Harvard Report.”
“Basically,” Konchog told me, “it cited some guy saying that Jobs’ ‘Buddhist beliefs’ led him to dabble in kooky alternative treatments for his illness, thus hastening his demise.”
He was right to be dubious of the story. (more…)
Interesting that on his most recent episode of Real Time Bill Maher would close the show with a closing piece that takes a “I’ll have what he’s having” attitude when it comes to Steve Jobs and his mind-expanding use of psychedelics.
Sure, they caused Jobs to “think different.” But so did Zen Buddhism. But you don’t hear Maher, who made Religiulous, saying anything about that. And, I’ll wager, won’t. …Anyway, watch below.
There’s been lots made of the Steve Jobs/Buddhism connection. Thanks to eagle-eyed friend and reader Sam DeWitt for sending on this latest example. Sam writes:
“Walter Isaacson, author of the new biography Steve Jobs, was interviewed on The Daily Show. He talks about Steve Job’s ‘Zen stare,’ in which he would not blink when staring down an opponent — or something like that. Buddhism is also mentioned a few times in the interview, and it is just all-around fun. (It is The Daily Show after all).”
See what Sam is talking about, watch here. (In Canada? Then go here, and watch the third segment of October 25th’s show.) Thanks as always, Sam!
Barn Owl, one of my very favorite musical acts these days, played a show hosted by the SFZC. Watch, listen, enjoy. It’s two great tastes that taste great together!
Barn Owl from auraloptic on Vimeo.
Another act that played SFZC was Date Palms. Click here for that.
Thanks to John A. Graves for sharing this photo of a billboard for the new “sleep formula” product, Zazen:
“Calm your mind,” reads the copy. They even dared to put the little “TM” next to the product name. Sorry, Zazen Sleep Formula, I think you’re the ones infringing here.
Another day, another lazy co-optation of Buddhism. I’m going to pass out from boredom just thinking about it.
Hey, that stuff really works!
In addition to an extensive (and really good) interview with the Dalai Lama, the new (July 21, 2011) issue of Rolling Stone features Larry David on the cover. So what’s the “Buddhist connection” there? It’s slight, but check the headline:
“The Neurotic Zen of Larry David.” (Preview the article here.)
…Zen, Zen, Zen, Zen, Zen! Like it or not, it’s a “sell” word. (Though, as someone who works as a professional copywriter, you’ll never see me pulling one of these.)
Zen debuts on PBS tonight. The question is — as usual — what does this TV mystery called Zen, based on a mystery book character named Zen, actually have to do with Zen? And the answer is — as usual — pretty much nothing. But this isn’t a case of co-optation. “Zen” here is actually the character’s (Italian name.) The AV Club has the story.
But goodness knows, in many other cases shown here on the Horse, “Zen” sells! Just look at all the “Zen” you can buy!
