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Clark Strand

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Clark Strand (born August 14, 1957)[1][2][3] is an American author and lecturer on spirituality and religion. A former Zen Buddhist monk, he was the first Senior Editor of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. He left that position in 1996 and moved to Woodstock, New York, to write and teach full-time.

He is also a poet and has published two books featuring his poetry.

Early life and education

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Strand was born in 1957,[1] and grew up in Arkansas[4] and Alabama.[5] The family moved to Atlanta in 1971,[6] and Strand graduated from the Lovett School in 1975.[7]

Strand was raised as a Southern Presbyterian,[8] and converted to Buddhism in the 1970s.[9] He studied philosophy and religion at Sewanee: The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee,[10] graduating in 1980.[11]

Career

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Strand began his post-university career as a Zen Buddhist monk.[12] In 1988, he left the Dai Bosatsu Zendo, a Rinzai Zen Buddhist monastery in upstate New York[13][11] and became the director of New York Zendo, a Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple in New York City.[11] In 1990 he resigned from New York Zendo[14][15] and ceased being a Buddhist monk.[16]

Following a few years of psychoanalysis, he became the first senior editor of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review in 1993.[17][18] He also continued his decades-long exploration of the spiritual traditions of the world in search of a more spiritually-evolved version of religion that was compatible with modern life; the journey took him inside of numerous communities including Buddhist temples, Hasidic synagogues, Christian monasteries, and Hindu cults.[17][16][19] This eventually led to his books Meditation Without Gurus (2003) and How to Believe in God: Whether You Believe in Religion or Not (2009).[17]

In 1996, Strand left his position as senior editor of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, and moved to Woodstock, New York to write and teach full time.[18][20][21]

In January 2000, Strand founded the Koans of the Bible Study Group (since renamed Woodstock Buddhist Bible Study), a weekly inter-religious discussion group devoted to finding a new paradigm for religious belief and practice.[16] He also founded the Green Meditation Society in Woodstock, which promotes an ecologically-based approach to spiritual practice, drawing upon the environmental teachings of the world's great religious traditions.[22]

In the early 2000s, he began exploring Soka Gakkai International, which originated from Soka Gakkai Japan, a humanistic religion based on the teachings of the 13th century Japanese monk, Nichiren, who lived in Kamakura period. This led him to write Waking the Buddha: How the Most Dynamic and Empowering Buddhist Movement in History Is Changing Our Concept of Religion (2014).[23]

Strand has written additional books on spirituality, as well as articles on a variety of religious, spiritual and ecological themes. He writes for The Washington Post,[24] The Huffington Post, The New York Times, Newsweek’s On Faith Blog, Tricycle, Body & Soul, Spirituality & Health and several other publications.[25][26][27]

He also lectures and teaches classes, workshops, and retreats.[17] In May 2015, he participated in the First White House U.S. Buddhist Leaders Conference.[28]

Strand is also a poet,[29] and has published two books featuring his poetry: Seeds from a Birch Tree: Writing Haiku and the Spiritual Journey (1997), and Now is the Hour of Her Return: Poems in Praise of the Divine Mother Kali (2022). He also teaches classes and workshops in writing haiku.[30]

Personal life

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Strand lives in Woodstock, New York.[21] He and his wife, author Perdita Finn,[31] are co-founders of The Way of the Rose, a non-sectarian rosary fellowship that welcomes people of all faiths and spiritual backgrounds.[32][33]

Bibliography

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1997 Seeds from a Birch Tree: Writing Haiku and the Spiritual Journey ISBN 978-0-7868-6242-9
1998 The Wooden Bowl: Simple Meditations for Everyday Life ISBN 978-0-7868-6286-3
2003 Meditation Without Gurus: A Guide to the Heart of the Practice ISBN 978-1-893361-93-5
2009 How to Believe in God: Whether You Believe in Religion or Not ISBN 978-0-7679-2069-8
2014 Waking the Buddha: How the Most Dynamic and Empowering Buddhist Movement in History Is Changing Our Concept of Religion[34] ISBN 978-0977924561
2015 Waking up to the Dark: Ancient Wisdom for a Sleepless Age[35][36] ISBN 978-0-8129-9772-9
2019 The Way of the Rose: The Radical Path of the Divine Feminine Hidden in the Rosary (with Perdita Finn) ISBN 978-0812988956
2022 Now is the Hour of Her Return: Poems in Praise of the Divine Mother Kali ISBN 9781948626750

References

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  1. ^ a b Finn, Perdita (2023). Take Back the Magic: Conversations with the Unseen World. Running Press. p. 212. ISBN 9780762482528.
  2. ^ "Clark W Strand from Woodstock, NY". Nuwber. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  3. ^ Strand, Clark (August 15, 2024). "Thanks so much for my happy birthday wishes, everyone! It was a wonderful day!". Facebook. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  4. ^ Conner, Janet (December 5, 2019). "Praying at the speed of Love, Episode 19: The Way of the Rose Part 1" (PDF). mainbucketdgandco. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  5. ^ Strand, Clark (January–February 2023). "Wake Up to the Dark". Spirituality & Health. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  6. ^ Nola, Meg (September 23, 2022). "Reviewer Meg Nola Interviews Clark Strand, Author of Waking Up to the Dark: The Black Madonna's Gospel for an Age of Extinction and Collapse". ForewordReviews.com. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  7. ^ "Dr. Allan Strand Jr. (1930-2022)". The Lovett School. Fall–Winter 2022. p. 91.
  8. ^ "Author Clark Strand". WakingtheBuddha.com. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  9. ^ Laidlaw, Stuart (October 28, 2007). "Awaiting the Dalai Lama". Toronto Star. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  10. ^ "How is Christ Our King In 2012?". CathedralATL.org. November 25, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c "College Class Notes". The Sewanee News. Vol. 54, no. 3. December 1988. p. 23. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  12. ^ Strand, Clark (May 29, 2014). "A Zen Master's Guide to the Bible". Spirituality & Health. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  13. ^ Strand, Clark (2023). Seeds from a Birch Tree: Writing Haiku and the Spiritual Journey: 25th Anniversary Edition: Revised & Expanded. Monkfish Book Publishing. ISBN 9781948626866.
  14. ^ "The Zen Studies Society Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees" (PDF). ShimanoArchive.com. January 16, 1990. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  15. ^ "Minutes of ZSS Board of Trustees Meeting". ShimanoArchive.com. March 31, 1990. Retrieved August 21, 2024. 'Eido Roshi (嶋野 栄道) announced that Clark Strand had resigned as resident monk of New York Zendo....'
  16. ^ a b c Guy, David (September 2, 2015). "Get Back, Jo Jo". DavidGuy.org. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d "Author Clark Strand" (PDF). WakingTheBuddha.org. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Reading Series – An Intimate Evening with Clark Strand". Village Zendo. October 14, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  19. ^ Strand, Clark (2009). How to Believe in God: Whether You Believe in Religion or Not. Harmony/Rodale. pp. 3–4. ISBN 9780385529525.
  20. ^ Jeffers, Steven L.; Nelson, Michael E.; Barnet, Vern; Brannigan, Michael C. (2019). "The Essential Guide to Religious Traditions and Spirituality for Health Care Providers" (PDF). api.pageplace.de. CRC Press. pp. xxvi–xxvii. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  21. ^ a b "Clark Strand's life and work". World Wisdom. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  22. ^ "Author Clark Strand to Speak on 'The 12 Steps of Ecological Recovery' at Judson Church". Reuters. Market Wire. January 31, 2011. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015.
  23. ^ Mowe, Sam (April 27, 2014). "Q&A: Clark Strand, Author of Waking the Buddha". Spirituality & Health. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  24. ^ Strand, Clark (May 19, 2015). "Want to enjoy the deep, mystical sleep of our ancestors? Turn your lights off at dusk". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  25. ^ Strand, Clark (Spring 2010). "Turn Out the Lights". Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. Archived from the original on March 6, 2010.
  26. ^ Strand, Clark (May 1, 2014). "How the Nones Are Coming of Age". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  27. ^ Strand, Clark (December 19, 2014). "Bring On the Dark". The New York Times. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  28. ^ Boorstein, Michelle (May 12, 2015). "A political awakening for Buddhists? 125 U.S. Buddhist leaders to meet at the White House". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  29. ^ "Clark Strand: A Deeper Connection with Everything Through Haiku". The Meaningful Life with Andrew G. Marshall. Podbean. July 31, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  30. ^ "Clark Strand". Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  31. ^ Matousek, Mark (November 5, 2019). "Virgin Encounters: What to Do With an Apparition?". Psychology Today. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  32. ^ "Clark Strand". Kripalu. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  33. ^ Peters, Julie (December 17, 2019). "The Way of the Rose". Spirituality & Health. Unity Church. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  34. ^ Strand, Clark (January 2014). "From the Muddy Pond". SGI Quarterly. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015.
  35. ^ Matousek, Mark (May 11, 2015). "Waking Up To the Dark: Ancient Wisdom for a Sleepless Age". Psychology Today. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  36. ^ "Waking up to the Dark: Ancient Wisdom for a Sleepless Age". Kirkus Reviews. January 14, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
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