MSI Press Blog

  Excerpt from Living in Blue Sky Mind (Diedrichs) - Foreword Richard Gentei Diedrichs, or Gentei Sensei, as he is respectfully and affectionately called by the members of the Daifukuji Family Sangha, draws from the well of his childhood experiences and from wisdom gleaned as an elementary school teacher and practitioner of Zen to bring the sweet water of the Buddha’s teachings to people of all ages. He is honest and compassionate, a sincere human being and teacher of the Dharma whom we can trust. He tells us that it is possible for ordinary people, even as children, to awaken and realize their Buddha Nature through practice. Living in Blue Sky Mind is a refreshingly clear presentation of the Dharma , which can be understood by children and appreciated by adults. Gentei Sensei’s vivid childhood recollections strike a chord in our own memories, a painful chord at times but one that reassures us that our mistakes and painful experiences can be opportunities for spiritual grow...

Richard Gentei Diedrichs grew up in Los Angeles. He edited travel and health magazines in Seattle, worked as an editor at the schools of engineering and public health at University of California. Berkeley, and then taught fourth and fifth grades, as well as kindergarten, in public elementary schools around the San Francisco Bay Area.  Richard was ordained a Zen priest in 1984. Currently, he is a Dharma teacher in Hawaii. He has published short stories in literary journals, a short story collection, Spirit of Tabasco , and two novels, Neither Coming Nor Going and Cherry Blossom . He lives with his wife and dog on the west coast of the Big Island of Hawaii.   His MSI book, Living in Blue Sky Mind: Basic Buddhist Teachings for a Happy Life , is available in paperback, hard cover, and e-book formats and has been recognized by the MidWest Book Watch and other reviewers for its quality.  Richard has been featured in many interviews and podcasts and has written a...

  Buddha is not a name but a title — it means “the awakened one,” someone who has fully understood the nature of reality and freed himself from suffering. The historical figure known as the Buddha was Siddhartha Gautama , a spiritual teacher who lived in northern India between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. 🌿 Who the Buddha Was Siddhartha Gautama was born in Lumbini , in what is now Nepal, to a noble Shakya family. Though raised in comfort, he left his privileged life after encountering the realities of aging, illness, and death. This awakening to human suffering set him on a spiritual quest. He spent years practicing meditation and asceticism before realizing that neither luxury nor extreme self-denial leads to truth. Under the bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya , he attained enlightenment — a profound understanding of the causes of suffering and the path to liberation. 🔍 What the Buddha Taught After awakening, the Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching a path known as the Middle...

We live with minds as open and spacious as the deep blue sky. Living in Blue Sky Mind presents basic Buddhist teachings that keep us on the wholesome path of self-realization and oriented toward a happy life. Zen priest and teacher, Richard Gentei Diedrichs, offers simple lessons, anecdotes of personal transformation, and reflective questions to guide us along Buddha’s enlightened way. Listen to the Podtail podcast HERE .

  The cross‑legged posture — known as the lotus position (padmāsana) — is not just a pose; it’s a symbol of inner balance and awakening . 🌿 Rooted in Meditation When the Buddha attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree, he was seated in this very posture. The position stabilizes the body, allowing long hours of meditation without movement. It represents groundedness — the body anchored to the earth while the mind rises toward insight. 🔶 Symbol of Harmony Each leg folded over the other forms a natural symmetry, expressing the union of opposites : Earth and sky Body and spirit Action and stillness The hands resting in the lap (the dhyāna mudra ) complete the circle of calm concentration. 🕊️ A Visual Metaphor Artists across centuries have used the cross‑legged Buddha to show that enlightenment is not escape but centered presence . The posture says: Peace begins when the body is still and the heart is awake. 🌸 In Essence The Buddha sits cross‑legged because the pose itself em...

  Just the basics — because it really is a vast tradition Buddhism is one of the world’s oldest living spiritual traditions. It began in India more than 2,500 years ago and has since taken root across Asia and, more recently, the West. It is not a religion of a single book or a single authority. Instead, it is a path — a way of seeing, understanding, and living. Here are the essentials. 1. The Story at the Beginning Buddhism begins with a human being, not a god. Siddhartha Gautama, later called the Buddha (“the awakened one”), was a prince who left a life of comfort after encountering the realities of aging, illness, and death. He wanted to understand why human beings suffer — and whether there is a way out of that suffering. After years of searching, he experienced a profound awakening under the Bodhi tree. What he discovered became the foundation of Buddhism. 2. The Buddha’s Insight: Why We Suffer At the heart of Buddhism are the Four Noble Truths , which are not dogmas but obse...