In July I read the account of a philosopher spending time at the famous Trappist monastery called the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. This is the place where Thomas Merton lived for a while in the 1960s. Reflecting on the beauty and simplicity of monastic vocation, the philosopher wondered, “why do so few people choose […]
personal development
A Mind With Space in It Is a Lively Mind
Master Jingzong; English translation by Foyuan, edited by Jingxing In life, the first thing we have to do is to take good care of ourselves. If we don’t do so, who will? During all these years as a monk and an Amitabha-reciter, I have always felt that someone was looking after me. This is the “I” […]
Transitions
“All compounded things are impermanent,” we are taught by the Buddha. Yet how often do we cling to this or that manifestation of reality, or a particular manifestation of politics, or our religion, or the dispositions of our loved ones or ourselves? Spring has arrived fully in my city of Seattle. With it comes a […]
Vanity and Substance
Master Jingzong; English translation by Foying, edited by Jingxin Everything we do is basically done for one of two purposes–to massage our ego or to accomplish something of substance. The former is mere vanity while the latter has real benefits. We must not pursue both purposes entirely for ourselves, leaving others empty-handed. If substance is what we […]
Ideas for an Emotionally Mature Life
Personally, I like to stick to a few cardinal rules for maintaining some measure of happiness amidst a sea of human discontent and restlessness. As a prime directive, following the Mahayana (or any legitimate) Buddhist path will always bring some measure of tranquility, in spite of how inadequately I practice. Being on the path is […]
Slow Down and Feel Good
Master Jingzong; English translation by Foyuan, edited by Fojin I once heard a saying which I completely agree with: time is irrelevant to perfect things. Anything that is born of time is never perfect. From the viewpoint of philosophy, it cannot last forever because of its impermanence. Things we do hastily in the name of […]
Indulging in Our Self-Pity
I sometimes think I’m reliving Groundhog Day with some people. You might know such individuals too. Take any grievance across the spectrum of human experience today: office politics, insufferable personal relationships, struggles to pay the bills, turmoil and gridlock in the governing classes, getting divorced, that guy who just cut me off on the freeway. […]
Unnecessary Worry
Master Jingzong; English translation by Fomu, edited by Jingtu In the darkness there are many ditches and obstacles; we must use both hands and feet as we grope our way forward. Even with great caution, we inevitably bump, stumble and lose our sense of direction. We can only hope not to fall down flat. Amid daylight, […]