Interview with a Buddhist Blogger: Adam Flies Like a Crow

What a fun project, and no better way for me to return from a l'il blogging hiatus. Another gift from Nate at Precious Metal: An interview swap around the BuddhoBlogosphere. Thanks for continuing to be so dang awesome, Nate! Check all the interviews out here. I was fortunate to be paired with Adam from Fly Like a Crow. Here, we recovering-Midwesterners-gone-West-Coast share all over the map about our lives and practice. And hey! Musical accompaniment!

Do you feel that relocation from the Midwest has figured into your transition into Buddhist practice in any way?

I was born in Michigan, and spent the next 20 years of my life there. I always had a burning desire to get the hell out of Michigan, and when the itch could no longer be scratched by dreams alone I packed up and headed out West. Literally, I just packed up a couple of bags and left. First I wound up in Vancouver, B.C. The liberal nature of Vancouver and Canada appealed greatly to me at the time, but I found the city to be really, really dirty. Sure there were nice parts and such, but it just didn’t feel right. So I headed back down to Seattle and eventually found work and my beautiful wife. For me the entire trip and my motivations for leaving were of a profoundly spiritual nature. Spiritual, but not religious per say. Think Into the Wild, but more like Into the Rain.

When I moved out West, I knew that a new spiritual path would find me, I just didn’t know what. Well, along came this knock-out gorgeous girl (I still don’t know why she puts up with me…) that had these crazy pagan tattoos on her arms and read tarot cards and BAM! I was in love.



I had only been vaguely familiar with many of the earthy European “pagan” religious beliefs before I met Alex, and she opened me up to a whole ‘nother world in respect to those beliefs. But something about it still didn’t feel… complete. I still hold some of those beliefs and values today, but focus on the particulars less. It was when we were living in Bellingham and she stared to talk about her time practicing as a Nichiren Buddhist as a youth that put a bug in my ear. I started looking at Buddhism, and I read about the Four Noble Truths, and that was it. I knew, knew that Buddhism was for me. If I hadn’t moved out West, I have no idea what spiritual path I’d be on now.

Do you come from Midwestern farm stock, and / or suffer from the Protestant Work Ethic as well?

Oh god yes. My Father has worked for GM his whole life, his father owned his own HVAC company. My other Grandfather was a factory worker his whole life. The industrial reality of life was instilled in me at an early age. There was always “work” to be done, even at 4 and 5 years old. And while I didn’t live on a farm, I worked on a sugar beet farm for a couple of summers. I’d walk up and down the rows of beets hacking away at weeds from sunup to 4pm earning $2 an hour. All so I could save up enough cash to replace the retainer that I lost. Thanks Dad.

Tell me about your spiritual background - were you raised in any spiritual tradition?

During my time in Michigan, I was raised in a relaxed Lutheran church. No fire, no brimstone. It was more about choir, meaningful sermons and monthly potlucks than saving souls and damning non-believers. But the belief system never really clicked with me. I think it was when I first learned about dinosaurs that something in my head went “hmm… wait a minute…” I tried and tried, but Christianity never really fit me. I suppose I’ve never really felt a need for God.

Any childhood moments of realization?

Funny you should ask. Lately during meditation, memories have begun to surface that I had never really paid much attention to before. I’ve been remembering that at an early age, for a time I was obsessed with mind, and what it was. There were a couple of moments I recall where time seemed infinite and minute all at once, where there was no chatter in my head and I seemed to “float” in my own consciousness or something. It’s hard to describe considering it happened over 15 years ago. But I remember it bringing up questions like: Why was I able to observe the ego-voice in my head? Were there two Adams? But if I could also notice that I was able to notice that “ego-voice”, how many levels could this continue on for? Would there always be “someone” watching that voice in my head that was watching the watcher that was watching the watcher etc…..

Eventually I think I just stopped contemplating about all that. I figured if I thought about such things long enough, eventually I’d end up in a room with padded walls somewhere.

You started with Nichiren. What is your primary practice these days? Chanting? Meditation? Are you still unaffiliated? You’re purt near One Drop Zendo and Shodo Harada Roshi (my Teachers’ Teacher)! Have you been? And are you considering dipping a toe into retreat practice? (I understand this may be something for later in life, esp now with baby #2 coming along - congratulations!)

(I felt like I could answer all of these questions at once, since they’re all closely related) I’ve posted before about how I’ve recently left SGI (and my time spent there) so I won’t bore you with that again. My practice that I’m crafting now doesn’t really fall into any tradition. This isn’t on purpose, me trying to “go rouge” or anything. I simply don’t have reasonable access to a “real-life” dharma center or sangha (getting to the One Drop Zendo would be at least a 2 hour commute one way that would involve a ferry ride). There are some other cool places about 1-2 hours away, but I don’t have the means or time to make that happen. I work 40+ hours per week. When I get home, it’s time for my son’s dinner, then bath, then story time, then bed. That gives my wife and I-2 (maybe 3) hours of “alone” time to do dishes, sweep the floor, fold laundry, and maybe try to squeeze in a movie on Netfilx in. If I were to drive the 1-2 hours it takes to get to one of the Buddhist centers, participate, and then drive back, I wouldn’t see my wife or son pretty much all day except for the 30 minutes I spent with them in the morning. Not only do I not want to live that way, it would put a huge and unnecessary burden on my wife. So for now, what I do is nightly I do some stretches. I am extremely inflexible and can’t even think about doing full-lotus, so that’s where I start. I’m also not as active as I once was, so I take this time to do some push-ups and sit-ups, get the heart rate up and a little sweat going. Then I sit in front of my alter/butsudon, and recite the Gatha of Atonement and the 5 remembrances 3 times each. Then, I meditate for 20 minutes. I study daily as well. Right now I’m working with The Wings to Awakening. I have about 20 books on my shelf in queue that I really want to dig into, including some on Zen.

As far as a tradition goes, I haven’t really settled upon one. There are parts of Therevada that call out to me, but lately Zen has been tugging on my shirt sleeve as well. Particularly your tradition, Rinzai (I’m also a bit intrigued by Ch’an). There is something about the use of koans that really speaks to me. Jaye from Digital Zendo shot me with one a couple of weeks ago. In Zen there are the 10 Ox Herding pictures. For me the idea of using a koan is like grabbing the bull by the horns and wrestling him to the ground. It’s like combat for your mind. At least that was my first experience with it. I’m probably wrong.

Call me a fundy, but the older Pali cannon speaks to me more so than the Mahayana. I’m just not a fan of some of the imagery used, as well as some of the language or the idea that some of the Buddha’s teachings were somehow provisional that you find in Mahayana. That’s not to say that I don’t love the Heart Sutra or some of the other Mahayana texts though.

On the other hand, the Pali cannon is a labyrinth to navigate, especially for someone with no access to a real-life teacher such as myself. Also I feel that I’d never be able to dedicate enough time to any kind of real jhana practice. I have other issues and things I like about each tradition. I haven’t decided which particular path to pursue. For now I stretch, sit with the breath, and study.

Retreats? Maybe eventually. Maybe a day-long or a two day weekend retreat. I just couldn’t imagine using my 1-2 weeks of vacation/year to ditch my kids to go sit in a room somewhere. I’d rather head to the redwoods and go camping with them.

Buddhism and Parenting: Discuss!

Oh boy! Certainly we want to raise our son (and soon to arrive daughter) to be spiritual people, whatever form that takes. I have no idea what’s going to happen when they get older when it comes to religion. I’m sure we’ll teach them about all our influences, (be they Pagan, New Age, Buddhist or whatever we choose to pick off the shelf) but in what structure, I don’t yet know. Right now my son Corbin really likes grabbing my tiny Hotei statue off the shelf and running around with it (he calls him “happy face Booo-dah”). That works for now I suppose.

Can you say more about your lovely spouse and how your practices co-exist, the support for each others' practice, etc.

We’ve been working on that lately, trying to figure it all out.

Pick yer poison: Which of the five hindrances come up most for you?

Two of the biggest obstacles I face (and two of the reasons I felt Buddhism was the right path for me) are two of the 5 hindrances. The first being sloth/torpor/boredom. I’m lazy. Not like Momma from What’s Eating Gilbert Grape lazy, but lazy nonetheless. I have issues being motivated to do the simplest of things, even when I know how beneficial they are. I’d like to blame TV or my Father for going to far in instilling the Protestant work ethic in me to a point that I rebelled against it, but I can’t. The fault lies with me and me alone. I’m working on it. My wife would probably argue much too slowly, but I’m working on it. It’s complicated.

The other hindrance that bites me in the ass is restlessness, or the inability to calm the mind. I have ADHD, and this can be a HUGE issue for me. It causes me to forget, to procrastinate when I shouldn’t, to miss deadlines. At times it can be an uncontrollable monster, and at other times more like a caged monkey. But a caged monkey is still a monkey. To say my mind wanders is like saying the Titanic had a small leak. And while some may scoff at the idea of Buddhism offering “self-help”, I think it does provide some of that. Certainly there are elements of self-improvement to be found when walking this path. Science has revealed that meditation does have real, tangible benefits for people that have ADHD, but I only view this as part of the ‘benefit’ of practice. I also take responsibility for my actions and thoughts in spite of my ADHD, I don’t blame anything I do or don’t do on it. To me that would be the easy way out. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

Favorite Buddhist books / authors?

Contemporary teachers that I’ve found valuable and to my liking include Thanissaro Bikkhu and John Daido Loori. Two very different teachers no doubt, but there is something familiar about T.B.’s approach that really hits home for me. Maybe it is my love for philosophy. And Loori’s writing is authoritatively beautiful, if that makes any sense whatsoever. I have only read bits of his work, and have a few of his books on my shelf that are next in my queue that I’m looking forward to diving into. I have much to learn and even more to experience.

Current favorite Buddhist quote.

I’ve posted on my experience with homelessness before, so it may not come as a surprise that Homeless Kodo (Kodo Sawaki) holds a special place in my heart as well. I’ve only recently discovered him and his writings. One of my favorite quotes of his: "Everyone is homeless – it is a mistake if you think you have a fixed home."

Favorite song that intentionally or unintentionally expresses Dharma

“Instrumental” by Box Car Racer. Mostly it’s the notes and words that you don’t hear that make that song powerful. At least to me. I suppose a case could be made for Jazz being the most “Buddhist” form of music for the same reasons.

Is there a song that might be your “theme song”?

As with much of life, it would depend on my mood. If I could express my most common moods according to song in no particular order they would be:

“AEnima” by Tool

“Late in the evening” by Paul Simon

“Midnight Rider” by the Allman Brothers

“Alive” by Pearl Jam

“This Cocaine makes me feel like I’m on this song” by System of a Down

“Wish you were here” Pink Floyd

“Sagaba” Blue Scholars

“I believe in a thing called love” by The Darkness – (it was the song my wife and I walked down the aisle to)

“Dio” by Tenacious D

I’ll let you figure out which moods they go with.

Tools of the Trade

So exciting: Today features a guest post from Nate DeMontigny, author of the awesome blog Precious Metal. It is quite a pleasure to be hosting Nate because he happens to be the brains behind what is now the Third Great Buddho-Blog Swap! Nate brings a welcoming heart to the Buddhist blogosphere, always helping newbies like me feel a little more comfortable joining the conversations. Check out Nate's blog for all the swap-combos today. Nate is guest-posting here on the topic of my choosing: Tools of the Trade. Take it away, Nate!

I am excited to be writing about this topic.

Since I can remember, my father has always been into building. He's been in the construction business since I was a kid. I have three brothers, they are all in some way or another involved in the construction business. I am the only one that, until my current job, never got my hands dirty.

When we were kids though, my father would take us to certain jobs, the one's he knew the customer personally and knew they wouldn't mind a couple of punk kids hanging around. My father tried to teach us all the basics, and like I said, some got it and others did not.

When this topic was brought up to me, I thought it would be a great way to say that maybe I did become a builder of sorts after all, and pay tribute to my father for teaching me lessons that took a while to bear fruit. I know I've learned alot from my father, and maybe he did teach me a few things I never realized he did.

My spiritual practice is a construction project of sorts, and I hope this article will explain to you the tools I've used to build and maintain it. Time to get my hands dirty...

Foundation :

Like any structure, a solid foundation is always necessary. Without it, there is nothing to build upon. Regardless of the how and why, the foundation is the most important part when beginning to build something, whether it's a single family home, a duplex or even the tallest skyscraper.

I think some might argue with me on this one, but I parallel the foundation of a building with the path itself. Without the knowledge left behind by the Buddha himself, what would we be building upon? Some might think that meditation is the foundation, and while I agree to an extent, without the path we are really going nowhere. The foundation for this mental building of sorts are the teachings of the Buddha, specifically the 4 Noble Truths.

Nails and Screws :

Like any solid house, the things holiding it together are the nails and screws. All builders use these tools as they simply, are the most important tools they have to use.

Without them the walls would fall down, the roof would collapse. The building would not be very structurally sound to say the least.

This practice is very much a work in progress, we are always building and remodeling it. I liken the nails and the screws of the building to meditation. Without meditation, our practice simply falls apart.

There was a time when I thought I could get by without it, but the progress was never seen. I thought I could get by using the practice of mindfulness alone, suffice to say that didn't work out. After acquiring a pretty decent meditation practice, I noticed things started to come together. During meditation we are allowed time to slow down, to investigate and reinforce the ideals that we try to uphold.

Hammer :

Being one of the more forceful tools in the toolbox, without a hammer it'd be very difficult to pound the nails in and solidify our structure. A hammer is an unwavering force to reckon with.

I got stuck for a little while thinking of something to compare to hammer, something that is just as solid and unwavering. Then it came to me, the Noble Eightfold Path, that's the hammer. I spoken of "the path" before but without the Eightfold Path, and it's instruction, the walls of our spiritual structure would collapse in upon us. Just imagine not implementing things such as right speech, right mindfulness, etc. Where would our building be then?

Screwdriver :

A screwdriver is used for one purpose, to tighten the screws of the structure and make it more supportable. Much like the hammer, a structure would be useless without some form of screwdriver.

When I think of the way a screwdriver is used, to tighten things, I liken that to vows and refuge. To me, by vowing to uphold a certain practice, that practice is tightened up a bit. The resolve is there, you know? Also, by going for refuge, very similar to taking vows, we are placing faith in the teachings, tightening up our practice.

Walls, Flooring and Roof :

Once the foundation is complete, the building quickly comes together, held up with the tools above. We then have a shelter, something to hide us from the elements and give us a sense if comfort. With this new building, we invite others into it, creating a sense of community.

This one was easier to draw a parallel, The Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are all of those.

The Buddha, and his teachings, being our shelter of sorts.

The Dharma is something we take comfort in. We take comfort in it because it gives us something that sustains our practice and our lives, it is the heart and "soul" of our building.

And of course, the Sangha is our community. Whether it be teachers, friends, online friends, the Buddhist community is very supportive. I've found, even if I've never spoken with someone, yet I respect their opinion on a topic and ask, they always respond. I haven't met many "rockstars" in the Sangha, yet. I'm sure there are a few, I mean we are dealing with ego here folks.

So there you go, those are the tools that are used in building a solid practice. Of course, there are other nuts and bolts that do hold this thing together, but these are the bare bones.

Enough with the puns already Nate, I know, sorry. Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did writing it. And thanks for allowing me to guest post over here!!!