A spiritual path is a challenge to continually become something better than what we were. It’s a commitment to adapt to new conditions. Temptations and toxins encircle us all the time. It wasn’t a coincidence that the first monk who called me a student was a boxer in his youth in Burma. As a monk […]
Jon Fujita
People We Don’t Like
Eventually we will encounter people we don’t like. It’s important we handle those moments well. Sometimes these people are coworkers, classmates, neighbors, or family. Sometimes they’re people we see on TV or in articles on the Internet. The main point remains the same: Don’t develop hatred toward anyone. The Buddha never gave you permission to […]
A Brief Note on Love and Human Feelings
Buddhists are imperfect. We form attachments. We feel suffering. We try hard to balance spiritual prerogatives with worldly success. We feel loneliness. We want the company of others. Unless you have the luxury of a monastic life, you’re dealing with these realities constantly. And I’m writing this as a reminder: It’s OK. Managing samsara is […]
Is There Something Buddhist About Mario? (Seriously)
On 27 October the video game Super Mario Odyssey was released worldwide by Nintendo for the Switch platform. It’s pretty safe to say that very few people in the world (except yours truly) is thinking about how this game series relates to Buddhism. And I can already guess what you’re thinking. You assume I’m writing […]