Infusing Western Life with Tibetan Buddhist Compassion
The big event is upon us . . . the Great American Solar Eclipse of 2017. Highways and motels leading to and within its projected path are jammed . . . campsites in the sweetest viewing spots have been gone for a week, ISO-certified goggles are at the ready, as are special filters for every … Read more
While a fundamental – and undeniably practical – notion of Buddhist thought, sometimes we forget . . . Blossoms bloom due to a series of conditions that bring about its blooming. Leaves dry and fall from due to conditions that cause them to do so. Blossoms do not bloom unconditioned; a leaf does not … Read more
Not long after Apollo 11 amazed the world by going to the moon, NASA’s lunar program fell off our cultural radar. Flying to the moon, collecting rocks, driving around and getting back safely wasn’t interesting enough, apparently. And the ‘miracle’ of the internet, which connects billions of people, instantly, is something we take for granted … Read more
When I was 19 years old and living in NYC, I had an inkling to stick out my thumb and go for broke, coast-to-coast. At the time it was all about the open door, a battered map, and my desire to experience . . . and frankly, proving to myself that I actually would/could do … Read more
While a fundamental – and undeniably practical – notion of Buddhist thought, sometimes we forget . . . Blossoms bloom due to a series of conditions that bring about its blooming. Leaves dry and fall from due to conditions that cause them to do so. Blossoms do not bloom unconditioned; a leaf does not … Read more
Pre-existing conditions. We all have them. Every existence is organic . . . the substance of which is a continuity of change, each moment determined by a lineage of pre-existing conditions, otherwise known as karmic inclinations. Buddhism presents a practical study of these . . . understandings of what they are and how they occur, … Read more
Contrary to popular believe, Tibetan Buddhism is not an “inside” job. Sure, dedicated study and contemplation, sitting in meditation, visualization practices and other core Dharma methodologies usually take place indoors and are geared toward inner experiences, i.e., quieting down, focusing within, learning how the mind works, identifying beneficial thoughts and intentions, etc. Yes, there is … Read more
The Tibetan Buddhist path. Beautiful, Empowering. Challenging. Why challenging? Because it is difficult to learn something(s) new that will change you into someone who disagrees with the person you used to be. We’re just not “arranged” for that. Knee-jerk rejection and our lack of curiosity about the unknown are forms of self-defense. We’re defending the … Read more
“Klesha” is one of those Sanskrit words that identifies commonplace aspects of modern Western life. In Buddhist thought, kleshas are mental states that cloud the mind and manifest in unwholesome actions. They include mind states such as anxiety, fear, anger, jealousy, desire, agitation, arrogance, depression. (Do any of these sound familiar?) While familiarly accepted and … Read more
It’s a cloudy Sunday afternoon and here I am, in my place, doing what I’m doing as the Earth ball on which we exist spins through space at an incredible speed. My life, this mind’s current incarnation, has been a rich one, full of conventional highs and lows; I’m now sitting in my 65-year-old body, … Read more