Lotus and Lily Field Notes

I’m Joseph Anderson, and this blog contains reflections on my personal spiritual journey, and the essential role that both Buddhist and Christian traditions play in my ongoing exploration of life. Here are some pertinent biographical details:

• Raised in the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church. My grandfather, Paul A. Collord, was an Alliance minister; two of my uncles were seminary professors in the denomination; my cousin Greg Collord is a missionary; my sister Margaret Marcuson is an American Baptist minister. My parents Howard and Marjory Anderson attend Christ Community Church in the Sacramento area.
• Studied Hebrew and Greek at UC Berkeley, where my first interfaith encounters included studying with Jewish scholars Jacob Milgrom, Daniel Matt, and Robert Alter. My friendships with Jewish teachers and students cracked open my Christian world-view and set me exploring. Israel; the mythopoetic movement; Tarot; New Thought.
• Not giving up on Christian possibilities: attended the Graduate Theological Union for a year, attended a Methodist Church and taught at a Catholic girls school (Mercy High) in San Francisco.
• In 1996 had my first genuine encounter with the dharma: in a stress-induced funk I realized I needed to find a way to be happy and content independent of circumstances, and read How the Swans Came to the Lake. This historical/sociological slant of the book made it feel safe and the teaching went right in. Spent a number of years reading and thinking and looking for/waiting for the right community context in which to explore further, until Nalandabodhi moved in about two miles from my house; I started studying there in April of 2005.
• Started singing Western European medieval music in 1993 and got totally hooked on its sonic possibilities (try out Perotin); wrestled for years with the Christian/liturgical nature of most of the music; eventually gave up and let myself dive deep into the spirituality contained therein, particularly in the monastic strain. Entrances: Gregorian Chant in Everyday Life was catalytic, and so was Thomas Merton. I’ve been teaching chant and its relationships to spiritual practice since 2002. For more about my chant and other teaching (including a resume) see the Center for Sacred Art.
• These two major strains have come together in Lotus and Lily, a lovely intimate group of a dozen or so true seekers who gather to study and practice Buddhism and Christianity twice a month. My church, my sangha.
• I have a day job at WebJunction, a satisfying experience of “right livelihood” helping library staff get connected to technology and each other.
• Non-Buddhist-Christian interests include popular music of the 60s/70s, writing parody lyrics, and playing with our two beautiful cats Mischa and Amahl.

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