One of the first things I was taught when I ventured into Buddhist practice was to be mindful of mind. This is no easy task. One quickly discovers that  thoughts are enticing, alluring, and in no time at all drag you off into a whole scenario, when the intent was simply to let the thoughts drift by like clouds. Continue reading “Mindful Modes of Thinking” »

One of the resounding themes in the Buddhist studies and practices I’ve taken on over the last years has focused a lot on labels, concepts, and views. The foundation of everything being emptiness, impermanence, and unsatisfactoriness.  In the beginning, emptiness was confusing and cryptic, but as I explored the titles and labels I wore, I realized I had to stop calling myself a Buddhist. Continue reading “Calling Yourself Buddhist Isn’t Buddhist” »

Accept life on its terms and it becomes a lot more interesting. Keep believing there is more, and you are on a chase for your own tail that takes you nowhere. Yet, many of us, possibly most of us, end up on spiritual journeys that take up years, sometimes decades of our lives. Continue reading “The Selfish Circle of the Spiritual Quest” »

As humans we apply labels to everything. It’s a nifty little language tool that helps us identify objects in our world, and to communicate about them with others. Obviously we need labels for communication sake.

But when people start living through labeling, of themselves and others, problems arise. Continue reading “Living Through Labeling” »

One of the most useful skills you can get out of meditation is the ability to see and experience objectively how you label patterns of thinking. Soon you realize you have a lot of incorrect labeling in your speech for your views, and you notice it in others. You also start to catch lazy thinking, especially regarding what we know versus what we accept, versus what we believe. Continue reading “What You Know, Accept, or Believe” »

Cannon

One of the teachings in Buddhism that used to leave me scratching my head was that labels are concepts that limit us. What?

As I got deeper into my studies and mindfulness practice, understanding began to emerge through continuous interaction with my dog Cannon. He was really not the one who I expected would clarify this matter for me, but he has. Continue reading “Everything I Learned About Labels, I Learned from My Dog” »