I’m Jay Forrest, a Zen Deist Hermit who spends most of his days in study, contemplation, and quiet reflection. My life follows a simple rhythm: reading, meditating, translating, and writing about the wisdom that helps us live with clarity, honesty, and calm.
My spiritual journey has taken me through many landscapes — from Christian ministry to Buddhist meditation, from Sufi poetry to the broader currents of the world’s wisdom traditions. Each path offered something meaningful, yet none felt like home on its own. Over time, I found myself drawn to a way of living shaped by reason, simplicity, and contemplative insight rather than allegiance to any single tradition.
That is what led me to Zen Deism — a quiet, reflective approach to spirituality grounded in reason, shaped by contemplative practice, and open to the insights that echo across cultures and centuries. It’s not a system or a creed, but a way of listening deeply to life and responding with clarity and compassion.
My background includes work as an ordained minister, a meditation teacher, and a long‑time student of early Christian and Buddhist texts. I’ve spent years with the Pali Canon and the Greek New Testament — not as academic exercises, but as conversations with voices that still speak to the human heart. My translations and writings grow out of that slow, steady engagement with ancient wisdom and lived experience.
This website is simply where I share what I’m learning along the way. Here you’ll find reflections on rational spirituality, contemplative practice, Deist philosophy, and the small insights that arise from a quiet life. I don’t claim authority or special revelation — only a sincere desire to understand and to offer whatever might be helpful to others walking their own path beyond traditional religion.
Thank you for taking a moment to visit. I’m grateful our paths meet here, even briefly.