Infusing Western Life with Tibetan Buddhist Compassion
It’s an age-old riddle: if a tree falls in the forest (where no one is listening), does it make a noise? The answer in terms of accepted science is clear: (from the human perspective) the falling tree creates vibrations in the air which become noise if — and only if – they relate to an … 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
“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 is Easter Sunday, and I’ve been speculating on the meaning of this day through the lens of Dharma perspectives. Thinking, in particular, of the idea of resurrection . . . of a perfect, eternal energy ascending from and through the harrowing trials and tribulations of mortal life. In my own Buddha-speak . . . … Read more
Today (February 11, 2017) is Tu Bishvat, the Jewish ‘New Year for Trees’ (a kind of ‘Jewish Earth Day’). It is a time for reconnecting with nature, recognizing/appreciating the bounty of the Earth, to be thankful for all that sustains us, and to commit to protect the land. Here in our Western Washington Cascadian valley, … Read more
Last night Kathy and I conducted a Medicine Buddha sadhana* in our home, shared with some local friends. It is a practice of many aspects, including contemplation, motivation, generosity, prayer, meditation, visualization, mantra chanting and dedication of any results to the benefit of sentient beings everywhere. One of the effects of this and similar practices, … Read more