Infusing Western Life with Tibetan Buddhist Compassion
There are those who, upon first exposures to Tibetan Buddhism, get the sense that it’s “not for me” . . . a mismatch of sorts . . . too exotic, too complex, etc. But unfamiliar doesn’t necessarily mean ineffective. *** The Dharma contains insightful perspectives and skillful practices that work with/for various sorts of personalities … Read more
Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper. Pantheon Books, 2017. A fitting choice to lead-off our list of suggested books. Kory’s book brings to life the hallowed (and idiosyncratic) halls of Merriam-Webster, a rich world inhabited by quirky and erudite individuals who quietly shape the way we communicate. Do you love … Read more
And always, there is the outdoors. Trump yesterday signed a bill designed to unravel Obama’s policy/efforts to tackle global warming. There are many predicted results of this, let’s focus on one simple one: our wilderness areas are becoming increasingly endangered experiences for us all. *** How many of us have had genuine contact with … Read more
Our responsibility, as individual cells of a living organism, is to perform our functions as well as possible. Our own lives will grow richer and richer as the health of the total organism improves. The Dalai Lama refers to this as “wise selfishness” *** Responsibility is not a who or a thing. It is a … 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
Years ago, we at the Chenrezig Project created and distributed bumper stickers that read “Don’t Believe Everything You Think” .. This idea was directed at a myriad of everyday situations, but perhaps found its most profound truth in revealing the nature of our judgments of others. *** We are always working with faulty information . … Read more
In selling the 2003 invasion of Iraq to the American public, Armed Forces officials described their war plan as employing ‘shock and awe.’ An interesting term, one that represents killing superiority and power beyond any expectations, or means to be protected from. But herein limited to the military arena – bullets, bombs and bloodshed. Ordinary … Read more
(Dharma) Bread Crumb #12 When I see a “Ten Most Wanted” list I often have this thought: ‘Perhaps if we’d helped them feel wanted earlier, they wouldn’t be wanted now’. We live in a web, everyone connects to everyone else . . . not only materially, but through space and time as well. Therefore, everyone … Read more
(Dharma) Bread Crumb #10 Explore how an understanding could oppose desire and hatred; is there something within your mind, which, when awakened, would make desire and hatred impossible? If and when identified, work to direct the mind toward refined and deeper understanding(s), aspiring to mindfulness to keep the “thought” and its web of supporting concepts … Read more
(Dharma) Bread Crumb #3 If you have fear of yourself, only then are you afraid of other people. If, in the pure sense of love, you love yourself, you love others. If you hate yourself, you hate others. Consider that in relationship with others, it is only you mirrored. The other is nothing but a … Read more