HOSTED TEXTS

INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS WOOD

In October 2009 I had the pleasure of interviewing Chris Wood, the bassist from my favorite band, experimental jazz trio Medeski, Martin and Wood. I talked with Chris about MMW's new Radiolarians album project, the band's diverse influences, and improvisation as meditation. The interview was first published at Radio Free Chicago, and is now archived in an extended version here at FudoMouth.

FUDOMOUTH'S GATELESS GATE

There was a time when most sites had an introduction page, an image or animated splash that served as a virtual welcome mat, and FudoMouth was no exception. Greeted by a graffitied digital collage, visitors were invited to cursor over the mouth and invoke Fudo, the site's patron guardian. Though now retired, the gateway can still be found...

OUR NATIONAL PARKS

It's become one of my goals to visit all of our National Parks within my lifetime. There are conserved lands across America, all unique and significant, but I think its fair to say that this land's essential character, in its incredible diversity and unparalleled beauty, is best preserved in our National Parks. I want to experience them all, in at least some small measure, before I die. Here's a list of those I've visited so far...

TURNING WITH THE WHEEL

In addition to the Texts listed above, FudoMouth hosts a few other Buddhist resources. Paul Fleischman's insights into the radical simplicity of the Buddha's teaching help illuminate the Buddha's own succinct summation of meditation, as does this diagram, which illustrates the inter-influential aspects of the Eightfold Path. Finally, this excerpt from Who Dies? offers a unique perspective on the impermanence of all things. My own writings often reflect on the practice of meditation and mindfulness, particularly A Wider Rotation, an essay published in 2007. Also check out FudoMouth's Writings and Links for more...

TERENCE MCKENNA: PSYCHEDELIC PHILOSOPHER

Terence McKenna was a widely admired counter-cultural writer, philosopher, ethnobotanist and psychedelic spokesman. Best known for presenting his ideas and experiences in a series of erudite and wildly speculative public talks, McKenna challenges our conventional notions about the nature of reality and perception. He encourages an engaged understanding of life's complexity rooted in direct personal experience, and advocates the responsible use of psychedelic substances as one powerful means to achieve this, explaining that: "What psychedelic means is getting your mind out in front of you —by whatever means necessary— so that you can relate to it as an thing in the world, and then work upon it." Check out FudoMouth's small McKenna Archive, featuring audio for download...

KONJAKU: PAST AND PRESENT

Completed in 2007, Konjaku is an experimental short film I co-directed with Zane J.S. Johnson while he and I were both living in Japan. Konjaku follows the lives of ten characters through the course of a single day in Kyoto, Japan's ancient capital, exploring the strange confluence of traditional and modern culture in the life of the city and it's residents. Watch it Online (35 min.)