Extinguishing the Flames

Dear Friends:

There is a famous sermon of the Buddha called ‘The Fire Sermon’:

‘Thus I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Gaya, at Gayasisa, together with a thousand bhikkhus [monastics]. There he addressed the bhikkhus.

"Bhikkhus, all is burning. And what is the all that is burning?

"The eye is burning, forms are burning, eye-consciousness is burning, eye-contact is burning, also whatever is felt…

Dear Friends:

My favorite Quaker work is “A Guide to True Peace”.  Since discovering it I have dwelled on it and used it as a personal Guide to the prayer of inward silence.  Originally published in 1813 it has gone through numerous editions including ones published as recently as this year.  It has had a big impact on the Quaker Community from which it originated.  

I have been working on a textual history of the “Guide”; comparing each published edition that…