"The power of positive thinking" is a phrase that probably makes you cringe when you hear it. It sounds Pollyannaish and naïve -- like those well-meaning clichés one sees printed on motivational posters hanging in the waiting...
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Ponlop Rinpoche told me, via twitter to enjoy my "iPad Dharma." He uses an iPad when he teaches. The Karmapa is in an iPad ad. Welcome to the 21st century.
Last Friday IDP Community Members came together to celebrate the close of the first leg of our Building Bridges capital campaign -- a fundraiser aimed at garnering IDP it's very own community center.
Tuesday and Thursday nights this week I was fortunate to attend both programs (one program per night) of Armitage Gone! Dance at the Joyce Theatre thanks to a good friend of mine's generosity.
I'd seen Armitage Gone! Dance at the Kitchen...
Yesterday morning, President Obama released his long-form birth certificate to the public, in order to prove that he was indeed born in Hawaii on August 4th, 1961. It was a response to demands that he release the document by the...
This week, IDP Prison Project Coordinator Michael Carey interviews Kinloch C Walpole Abbot of the Gateless Gate Zen Center in Gainesville Florida. They discuss Kinloch's involvement with the prison population including his work faciliting...
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From the counterintuitive-to-Buddhist-psychology-department, according to Gothamist, and a new study from University of Warwick, certain happy states carry with them a higher rate of suicide.
Directions for seasoning a cast iron pan.
Clean the pan with soap and water.
Brush your teeth or drink a glass of water*
Dry the pan. Well.
Blow your nose or stretch a little or do some QiGong
Coat the pan in one of the following: Crisco...
Today's launch of Book Country, a site by Penguin, one of the older and more distinguished publishers around, generated a bit of talk, in Publishers Weekly and general media as well.
This body will be a corpse, but... not just yet. I'm certain of it, due to the Sacroiliac Joint Discomfort which has provided a sturdy base of support for my mindfulness of body practice.
"Before fighting the Mafia you must first examine your own conscience, and then, after you have defeated the Mafia inside yourself, you can fight the Mafia that's in your circle of friends. We ourselves and our mistaken way of...
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After the Earth Day Party this weekend, IDP co-hosted the great Vajrayana teacher Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche at the Tibet House in New York City.
It was recently reported that the members of the Committee on Bible Translation have produced a revised version of the King James Bible that refers to Mary as a “young woman” rather than a “virgin”.
From an MSNBC...
Happy Pastel Eggs & Bunnies Day! Although I’ve never considered myself a Christian, growing up in the Bible Belt kind of means you’re Christian by default. Jesus is all around you, especially on days like today. To some extent,...
Photo of me and my mother in 1997.
My mother died in 2002, at the beginning of summer after my first year of graduate school. One of the most formative experiences of my life occurred at the Catholic church where part of the funeral...
Last week my response to "The Color of the Sky", a guest post to the IDP BLOG by Andy Karr (posted in his name by Patrick Groneman) was strong and emotional, so much so that I decided not to post it in the comments section. My...
The New York Times recently ran an article about Sri Sri Ravi Shankar visiting Manhattan. There was Mr. Shankar in flowing robe, with orange shawl, strolling in Times Square looking like, well, a Buddhist, but in that often lampooned way. And I...
I just read this article in Science Fair about how meditation can make one a more rational decision maker. Since my practice has been a bit shaky this week, reading this makes me want to sit RIGHT NOW. Yes I agree, I do feel calmer and more...
This week on the ID Project podcast, ID Project Associate Director Patrick Groneman continues his discussion with Andy Karr on the dynamics of contemplative photography. The is the second of a two part interview.
Andy Karr is a writer,...
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Did you know that an ancient meditation teaching says that in order to get enlightened, you have to get enough sleep? It's true.
I feel incredibly grateful.There's a lojong slogan, “be grateful to everyone,” which Pema Chödrön taught us, “means all situations teach you, and it's often the tough ones that teach you the best.” All the...
