Zen has a great deal to offer. And it needs reformation. Like everything else, Zen is a work in progress.

Many gurus are treated like deities and hold absolute power over their devotees. As "enlightened beings" they're accountable to no one, and their foibles, appetites and excesses are given a pass. Of course, there were some teachers who, as far as I could make out, lived exemplary lives.

That this year's Guru Purnima comes the day before Independence Day strikes me as symbolism worth reflecting upon. Both India and America have always stood for something special in the world's eyes, and the two civilizations have enriched one another immeasurably with their gifts.

The task of the West has been to forge an individualised consciousness that will see us into the next stage of our spiritual development. Eastern thought and practice, as it streamed into the West when we were ready for it, provided this seed.

Being a father has been a blessing in my life, yes, but it has also been a catalyst for my spiritual development in a way that I've never experienced before.

In the 200 years that Eastern spiritual traditions have been filtering into American life, no artist has ever done more for this cross-cultural pollination than George Harrison.

I wish his families and followers ease in their grieving, all of us spaciousness and forgiveness around any of his weaknesses, and most of all, integrity to those charged with the responsibility of spiritual leadership.

There is the possibility that we can be teachers to each other, stepping into being the guide when it's called for, but also having the humility and the honesty to be guided, as well.