Tag Archives: skillful
Intentions and raccoons
Friday evening there was a knock on our door. An old man, out of breath from climbing our stairs was at our door, flashlight in hand. He was looking for his cat that had escaped. He informed us that she … Continue reading
Bringing us back to shore
Life is like stepping onto a boat that is about to sail out to sea and sink. ~Shunryu Suzuki The waves will bring us all back to shore. What form we return in depends on how we deal with … Continue reading
Earth Day Post: Blue Dharma
Today is Earth Day. Now, I know that the Buddha never lectured on water conservation, solar energy, or global climate change. But he did talk at length about compassion. He did speak of karma. What we need is more awareness … Continue reading
Filed under Buddhism
Something brewing in the atmosphere
Today marks the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. It was a terrible, gruesome act perpetrated by a home-grown terrorist. It’s been recently pointed out in the media and the blogosphere that the current political atmosphere is comparable to what it was … Continue reading
Filed under Buddhism
No Direction Home…….
Besides the epic emptiness of life that comes with being homeless, there is one more crippling ailment. It is the isolation. You can’t help but feel like the stereotypical Dicken’s street urchin outside of a bakery window salivating over the freshly made cherry pie on the counter. Only the whole world is that bakery. Society as we know it is that pie, and it would bring such joyous comfort if it was even just a taste. Continue reading
And more snow related suffering…….
Yes, I’m white. But that doesn’t mean that I want my news and information white-washed for me. Native Americans have suffered more than any other racial/ethnic group in the history of this continent, and they continue to be marginalized. I’m not one of those people who gets pissed off because there’s an NHL team in Chicago called “The Blackhawks”. But was does irk me is how my ancestor’s entire history, culture, and contribution to the world we live in today has been white-washed and almost completely ignored. Continue reading
Filed under Other
Just ignorant!
Maybe it’s that looking at scientific journals with peer-reviewed studies filled with evidence is a boring waste of time, so why not just have Rush Limbaugh tell me what global warming is really all about. It’ll be fun! I’m sure he’ll tell me what I really need to hear, and we can make fun of the traitorous liberals while we’re at it! Why would I want to see what this Jihadist stamp is really all about when my uncle Rick can just shoot me an email?! Continue reading
Filed under Political
The Brit Hume fallout: Victory for The Extremists
Christians, Jews, Muslims, Atheists, Pagans, I’ve known many people of many faiths in my life, and gotten along with them all splendidly. However, there is one group of people who I really can’t stand: Extremists. Extreme atheists, Christians, Buddhists, liberals, whatever. They always speak the loudest, they get in people’s faces, they cause violence and instill fear. Continue reading
To Brew or not to Brew… The Fifth Precept
But I also don’t think that having a beer every now and then disqualifies me from being a Buddhist, especially if I approach it in a skillful manner. Continue reading
Filed under Buddhism, Home Brewing
The Eightfold Path: Right Effort
“Prevent the unwholesome that has not yet arisen in oneself, let go of the unwholesome that has arisen in oneself, bring up the wholesome that has not yet arisen in oneself, and maintain the wholesome that has arisen in oneself.” Continue reading
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The Eightfold Path: Right Livelihood
By the way- taxidermy freaks me out. It’s one of the most unnatural things I’ve ever come across in my lifetime. It’s gross. Continue reading
Filed under Buddhism, Home Brewing
The Eightfold Path: Right Speech
So the next “step” on the Eightfold Path is Right Speech. Right speech is defined by the Buddha as abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, and from idle chatter and gossip. This one is pretty straight forward. … Continue reading
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