The back of the T-shirt worn by the guy in front of me as I waited in line at Chipotle carried one of Gandhi’s most well-known quotes: The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. I try not to be judgmental, but this guy’s… Continue reading Are Hypocrites Simply Stupid?
Category: Metta/Lovingkindness
Where Has All The Wisdom Gone?
The U.S. President now wants Congress to authorize the use of military force in Iraq, again. Having ended “combat operations” (murder) in 2014, now we are supposed to go back in again because of the Islamic State/ISIS/ISIL. Why did the Islamic State come into existence in the first place? Because our troops were invading Iraq.… Continue reading Where Has All The Wisdom Gone?
Hoorah for Putin, Not for Congress
Congress, now completely controlled by war-mongers, seems eager to start a war with Russia. As always, they generate lies to support their insane plans. They paint Mr. Putin as a war-monger who invaded the Crimean peninsula for no good reason and they tell us that the U,S. has to arm the government of Ukraine against… Continue reading Hoorah for Putin, Not for Congress
Tranquil Wisdom Zen
Don’t just sit there – do something! Conventional wisdom Don’t just do something – sit there! Buddhist wisdom This website is about practice; we try to minimize philosophy. As Red Pine says in his commentary on The Heart Sutra: Buddhism is better understood as a skill or an art to be practiced and perfected,… Continue reading Tranquil Wisdom Zen
Loving Kindness Zen
Step 2 – Finding the Footprints The Ninth Dharma Realm Along the riverbank under the trees, I discover footprints. Even under the fragrant grass, I see his prints. Deep in remote mountains they are found. These traces can no more be hidden than one’s nose, looking heavenward. Finding the Footprints Loving Kindness (metta) All mankind’s… Continue reading Loving Kindness Zen
Zen Yes, Religion No
It is OK to believe that exercise is good because there is evidence to support that belief. It is OK to believe that a vegetarian is healthier than a meat eater because vegetarians live longer than animal killers and have far fewer diseases and health crises. But it is not OK to believe that the… Continue reading Zen Yes, Religion No
Zen Practice And Enlightenment
The Buddha identified four stages of enlightenment: Stream Entry (sotapanna), the Once Returner (sakadagamin), the Non-Returner (anagamin), and Buddhahood. The Buddha taught that Stream Entry is attained when the first three of the ten fetters are overcome: Those first three fetters are: 1) Belief in an independent, unchangeable/permanent or everlasting self, called atman in the Vedas, which belief… Continue reading Zen Practice And Enlightenment
Zen Breathing: Diversity to Unity
Step one of Tranquil Wisdom meditation – In the words of the Buddha: “Mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out.” That’a about as simple an instruction as possible. The key word is of course “mindful.” Throughout the day, we breathe without thinking about it. Step two: Awareness of long and short breaths In the… Continue reading Zen Breathing: Diversity to Unity
The Rise Of Zen Buddhism
Years ago, having read the delightful novel Don Quixote, I decided to read a scholarly criticism of the book. It was filled with fascinating insights, including, for example, why Cervantes killed off D.Q. at the end (because he wanted to stop other authors from writing the further adventures of…) But the most interesting insight, one that had a… Continue reading The Rise Of Zen Buddhism
Meat, Murder, Tofu And Zen
The first fold of the Eightfold Path, Right View, is sometimes translated as Right Understanding and is explained by many commentators to mean that one has Right Understanding if one understands the Four Noble Truths. But that common explanation doesn’t jive with the Buddha’s words. He said the first fold of the Eightfold Path was… Continue reading Meat, Murder, Tofu And Zen