We give up what makes us feel bad about ourselves, at least in retrospect, and take on what makes us feel good about ourselves. Practicing the precepts is said to result in the bliss of blameless.
Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense. – Buddha
Many of us tend to view New Year’s resolutions as self-improvement projects. But this approach tends to set us up for failure and contributes to a sense we have that something is wrong with us.
We can look at resolutions as...
At New Year's celebrations throughout the world, people recognize and say goodbye to the past, and welcome the renewal and promise of a new year. Each new year holds the possibility of a fresh beginning for everyone, and reminds us that...
We need to acknowledge joy as well as suffering -- or we won't know why we want to alleviate suffering. Joy walks hand in hand with compassion; it protects our hearts from the bitterness that might arise if we see only suffering. And together...
Like last week, my post today is the little piece of Pema Chödrön wisdom I serendipitously opened to as a new part of my daily practice. At the beginning of this weekend especially, I very much like the notion of remembering to pause...
the past is pulling me back and the present pushing me forward
Contemplations on Occupy Seattle,
I often feel that I have so little to offer to the movement. I am not as brave or steadfast or selfless as so many of you. I want to share some...
Is it just me or did 2011 feel like a complete wash? Nothing particularly horrible or great stands out. The small triumph of not letting daily mundane tribulations get the best of me may not rank high on a scorecard but I am nonetheless...
The best remedy for poverty is generosity.
Whenever I’m feeling closed, stingy or possessive, the easiest way for me to change that is to do the opposite of what I feel like doing: giving to someone else.
From our usual perspective...
About a year and half ago I left the corporate ad world of Manhattan in search of something more. I had already planned a trip to London for my cousins wedding, so I decided to rent out my apartment in hang in Europe for a...
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I was moved to read this story about Pancho Ramos Stierle, the meditator arrested at Occupy Oakland, who also faced the possibility of deportation after his arrest. This picture of him and a friend being...
Recently my dear friend Ethan Nichtern and I were talking about my new book, The Buddha Walks into a Bar… (coming soon to a bookstore or Amazon near you).
I’ve started a new practice. Each day I randomly open Pema Chödrön’s book Comfortable With Uncertainty and read the teaching I’ve landed upon. The book is a compilation of 108 short teachings – little reminders...
Understanding Buddhism involves studying its texts, which range from bizarre or outdated to intense, poetic, profound and silly; looking at it’s transformation as it traveled throughout Asia and to the West; considering how teachings have...
Today is today. It is not tomorrow and it is not yesterday. This moment is this moment. It is not an hour from now nor an hour ago. As you read this, you are reading this.
This week's podcast features a lecture by Ethan Nichtern titled "Radical Buddhism and the Paradox of Acceptance." The lecture was given on November 10th 2011 in Portland Oregon. This is the second of a two part podcast.
