No proselytizing. No endorsements. No political ax to grind. Just ten things I wonder about: The Buddha teaches us to see things as they are, without the overlay of ego. But if I do, and what I see reflects what I already believe, am I doing it right? Or have I always been seeing things […]
What the Mirror Saw, by Lucille Clifton I discovered this today. Sometimes, just let something perfect be what it is.
During our everyday meditation, thoughts arise. These can be the seeds of insight, if only we are aware of them. Some say thoughts during meditation are impediments. This is true, they can be. Thoughts can arise either with our being aware or not being aware of them. To reconsider things, it is not the thought […]
Our president talks thoughtlessly, but that’s not what I mean by the Thoughtless Thought, nor is it what the Buddha means when he talks about emptiness. I’m talking about a few weekends ago when I listened to Radio Lab’s story Emergence, which began by speaking about a river in Thailand where at night thousands of […]
Here’s a thought. Step outside. Go for a walk. The first person you encounter, ask yourself what you notice about them. Be aware. Be specific. Focus on encountering specific characteristics that influence your experiencing the person. Now ask, how did you notice these characteristics? With your eyes, ears, nose (maybe), touch, or taste (doubtful). […]
People ask—what should I do when thoughts arise during my meditation? The question suggests the meditator is doing something wrong. Thinking is not allowed while meditating. In a dualistic way of seeing things, if I am thinking I must not be meditating. If I am meditating, I should not have thoughts. In the Winter 2017 […]
In Buddhism, we don’t have commandments. Growing up Catholic, I learned about commandments. There are ten of them. They are a code of ethics handed down by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, divided into three commandments about treating God right, and seven about treating our fellow humans right. God’s passing down these Ten […]
I am a student. I am a searcher. I look for a teacher. I look for what the world teaches, and what I can learn from others. These are the hardest lessons. I read recently that Zen master Thich Nhat Hahn says the path to learning is through love. He said the 4 Ways of […]
