In my life as a Buddhist practitioner, I have gone from early days with the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (now Triratna) to primarily Geluk Tibetan teachings, to Vipassana, to a bit of a mix of a few parts Zen and a few parts Theravāda. I sometimes tell people about this and their expression […]
personal growth
Straight-Edge Buddhism
The straight-edge movement started as part of the Hardcore Punk music scene in the early 80’s. At that time, drugs and alcohol were thought by many to be ruining the scene, and punks began to abstain from intoxicants in response. In fact, some adherents went so far as to abstain from promiscuous sex and eating […]
Getting the most out of summer
Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf, So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day Nothing gold can stay. – Robert Frost Once you realise this floating life as the perfect mirage of change, […]
Recognizing the future in a greater self
It is commonly understood that the final goal of Buddhist practice involves a realization of not-self, or no-self; the direct “seeing” that there is no substantial and lasting essence in “me” (or in “you” or in anyone else). In American society, this can conflict with our desire to have a “healthy self-image” or adequate self-esteem. […]
MPR Raccoon and the Bodhisattva Way
On June 18th a raccoon in Minnesota climbed up the side of a building and captured a nation’s heart. Observers believe that she originally went up there to steal eggs from bird nests, but got stuck in the process. Well-meaning maintenance workers tried to help her by building a make-shift ladder for her to climb […]
Be a Bystander
Master Jingzong; English translation by Foyuan, edited by Jingxing A proverb says, “[In a chess game], bystanders see the game better than the players.” The famous poet Su Shi also had this to say, “One cannot see the true shape of Mount Lu because one is in the mountain.” The [chess] player cannot see clearly […]
Give ’til It Hurts
Generosity doesn’t come easily to me. In fact, one of the hard truths that I’ve learned as a result of Buddhist practice is that there’s a lot of selfishness inside of me. I’m not sure why that is. Maybe it’s the result of being the oldest of 5 kids; constantly forced to share my possessions growing […]
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. […]
The Cost of Unhappiness
Master Jingzong; English translation by Fomu, edited by Jingtu I read an excellent article on the internet today titled, “There Is a Cost to Every Type of Unhappiness.” I fully agree with the premise. There are too many people who don’t understand it, for they are accustomed to being unhappy. To them unhappiness seems almost […]