Infusing Western Life with Tibetan Buddhist Compassion
Motivated Buddhist practice. Challenging, empowering, difficult, beautiful, rugged, liberating; engaging awareness, slippery mindfulness. For most, it’s often a back-and-forth process . . . two steps forward and one back (only one, hopefully). *** Dharma mind arises as the tiniest of sparks, then progresses into kindling fire, etc. The winds blowing through the days of our … Read more
An honest Dharma practitioner strives to be prepared. This preparation infuses all levels of experience and mind. Prepared for what? His or her own self-sabotage. *** The honest Dharma practitioner understands that ignorance is stubbornly clever and will create obstacles and diversions; some familiar, others inventive and new. He or she understands the terrain changes … Read more
“It’s all in your head” is a popular comment, meant to dismiss an experience (or statement) of what “is” as something that doesn’t really exist . . . an out-of-touch moment . . . a fiction or individual misapprehension. Well, guess what . . . IT IS all in your head (if it is the … Read more
Handle with extreme care. Beware of Dog. Follow instructions carefully Use only as directed. No other warranty expressed or implied. Batteries not included. Contents may settle during shipment. If this is an emergency hang up and dial 9-1-1. May be too intense for some viewers. For recreational use only. If condition persists, consult your physician. … 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
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
“Why We Lie” is the cover story in National Geographic’s June 2017 issue. Even after 21 pages of reporting on scientific studies, various philosophies and anecdotes from an art forger, secret agent, impersonator, con artist, card shark and prankster, the “why” question remains unanswered. Identifying the whys of dishonesty is a psychologically complex task; there … Read more
The Buddhist path stresses the interdependence of all things. Our world is a web of interrelated aspects – these include the ‘natural’ world of earth, water, air and fire; living systems of animals and plants, and the human systems of social and economic activities. Our actions can have far-reaching effects, with aftermaths that will eclipse … Read more
New Years’ Day plus five. Well-intentioned resolutions beginning to fade? The fact is, we can’t change ingrained habits with just a few days of will-power. Ignorance is stubborn: solid, thick-skinned and often explosively powerful . . . well-equipped to knock us off-balance . . . time after time. *** But here’s the thing: When we … Read more
I was reading a 1990 interview with James Hillman, the acclaimed psychologist, whose work was greatly inspired by his studies with Carl Jung in the 1950’s. In speaking of ‘New Age’ movements, he remarked, “Meditation, in today’s world, is obscene. To go into a room and sit on the floor and meditate on a straw … Read more