It is your right to believe whatever you want. But what about when beliefs interfere with other people’s beliefs or lack thereof? What about when beliefs cause division and hatred between people? Some people’s beliefs can even cause them to violate the rights of others, sometimes going as far as harming them physically. Continue reading “The Right to Believe, and the Nature of Belief” »
Meditation by waterfalls
I’ve noticed a common thread in talking to many new meditators and Buddhist practitioners. People want to know how meditation is going to make them happy. How long do you have to meditate to transcend to the next plane? How long do you have to meditate before getting high. How does all this meditation get rid of my suffering?!!!! Continue reading “Meditation Magic” »
I was a very small child when my curiosity about self started. I found my inner voice fascinating, how I could visualize scenes in my mind, all the while looking out into the world, seeing outside and inside almost simultaneously. Continue reading “Synaptic Self & Mind” »
I was a very small child when my curiosity about self started. I found my inner voice fascinating, how I could visualize scenes in my mind, all the while looking out into the world, seeing outside and inside almost simultaneously. Continue reading “Synaptic Self & Mind” »
While I was driving home the other day, I saw a bumper sticker on the car in front of me that said, “My God is the RIGHT God!”
Holy righteousness, Batman, can this be true? Well then, my imaginary friend is smarter than yours! Continue reading “My God is the RIGHT God!” »
When the Buddha spoke of not-self, he literally meant that we create what appears to be self but really is not self at all. We do this selfing in a variety of ways, and then we create identity for ourselves and call it me. Continue reading “The Many Me’s” »
2008 was full of surprises! Many of those events or situations were not exactly welcome or wished for and some were. And in all of that was a lot of learning and growth, and thankfully I made some interesting discoveries: Continue reading “Sitting Comfortably with Uncertainty” »
Recently we had a Zen teacher visit our local sangha to give a talk, and she mentioned that when we all meditate together, we can experience the oneness of our existence. As I listened to her, I felt a ring of familiarity in me, but not in the same context. Continue reading “Seeing Through the Ego” »
Master Yoda
That’s right. I said it, I said it, I said it! Master Yoda is every bit as real as Jesus Christ, and perhaps even more so. It doesn’t matter whether there is evidence that Jesus really existed in the flesh, or if he was really the son of God. He may have been real, or he may not have been. Continue reading “Master Yoda Is Every Bit as Real as Jesus Christ” »
People come to Buddhism from many angles: wanting to learn meditation, mindfulness, or compassion. We’re drawn in through a need of self improvement. But unlike most self-help instruction, Buddhism does not cater to those who want to pamper themselves and coddle their fragile egos, their wants and desires. On the contrary, Buddhism chases those delusions right out of our heads. Continue reading “Buddhism Is Not for Wimps” »
