Master Jingzong; English translation by Foyuan, edited by Jingtu There are many people around us, of similar appearance and speaking the same language. The bonds among them are shallow, however. And the distance separating their inner hearts is farther than the milky way. In other words, though they seem near, their hearts are in fact far apart. […]
universe
Master Huijing’s Dharma Words about the Purpose of Life
If we step back and pause to reflect a little, we’ll realize just how many concerns dog us in our daily existence. As Buddhists we shouldn’t seek to ignore the conventional realities that can cause concern and vexation to arise in us. I’d be the first to confess that I have plenty of worries. But […]
Life, Death… All a Matter of Perspective
We like to tell ourselves that we intellectually (even if we struggle to emotionally) grasp the significance of death as the end of our present existence. But time, life, and death are nowhere near as commonsense as we think. In an article in The Independent, professor Robert Lanza lays out the concept of biocentrism: ‘the universe […]
Postcard from Raymond: The Unseen is the Real
There is a mysterious, imperceptible force from beyond the observable universe yanking our galaxy in a certain and irresistible direction. We can’t stop it. The cosmic phenomenon known as “dark flow” is controversial, but it describes a flow or peculiar velocity of galaxies towards the Centaurus and Hydra Constellations. The gravitational anomaly called the “Great […]
Postcard from Raymond: Pale Blue Dot
I love nothing more than having my assumptions demolished. I enjoy being put in my place. This is not some masochistic desire to be debased or humiliated. Rather, I find it liberating to see how small we really are in the cosmos, via images of space and all kinds of beginner-friendly astronomical analyses. It was […]
Postcard from Raymond: What is Dharma?
Dharma is the cosmic law of reality. It is simultaneously the Buddha’s teaching, meaning two very important things. First, it means that the Buddhist teachings and reality itself are one and the same; they correspond to each other. The Dharma is the fount of all things which lies beyond the universe and the wheel of […]
To Find That Place
Steve Braff To find that place beyond judgment beyond fear a place of presence the simple clarity of knowing this most gentle unveiling of the sacred in this moment of the whole in which I am forever no longer apart.
Songs of the Ocean’s Tides
Pixie Take a walk on the beach, holding a friend’s hand, and relax. Feel the sand squeezed between your toes and listen to the gently lapping waves. Peaceful, isn’t it? Well, maybe not. Choose a different beach, and the surface might be sharp edges of volcanic rock, a foam frozen in time and cut by […]
The Moon Has Disappeared. Now What?
Pixie It’s the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the whole family has gathered to play with lanterns and gaze at the beautiful full moon. Suddenly, the Moon disappears. What happens to our family and the Earth? The Moon is a 3,475 kilometer-wide ball of rock. How could it disappear? Let’s take a look at a few different […]