Mindfulness is one of the cornerstones of Buddhist thought. In order to realize your enlightenment, you must see it just as it is, through direct experience unfiltered by emotion or judgement. What's really interesting to me about this is that it's possible to have these moments where everything seems to click and you have this … Continue reading (Buddhism) Right Mindfulness
Month: August 2016
(Buddhism) Right Effort
So far we've gone through five different spokes on the Noble Eightfold Path, comprising two groups -- Wisdom/Prajna and Moral Virtues/Sila. They are Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood. Together, they make up the understanding/philosophy and practice/action parts of the path. Now, we head into the third and final group … Continue reading (Buddhism) Right Effort
(Buddhism) Right Livelihood
The fifth spoke on the wheel of the Noble Eightfold Path is also the last one in the Moral Virtues (or Sila) group -- Right Livelihood. Together with Right Speech and Right Action, these form the backbone of how our understanding of the principles of Buddhism translate into practice through the rest of our lives. … Continue reading (Buddhism) Right Livelihood
(Friday Fiction) Changeling: Emergent
It was my first day back in school after the mugging, and people were treating me surprisingly well. I guess word had spread about what happened, which was cool, but what was most interesting was how the story changed based on who told it. The teachers talked about how I nearly got away by telling … Continue reading (Friday Fiction) Changeling: Emergent
(Buddhism) Right Action
For my own spiritual practice, I'm writing about each "spoke" on the wheel of the Noble Eightfold Path for a while. Reviewing what I know and think about each step of the path helps me clarify my understanding, expose any misunderstandings, and allows me to take a snapshot of where I am in my Buddhist … Continue reading (Buddhism) Right Action
(Buddhism) Right Speech
So for a little while now I've wanted to go over the "spokes" in the wheel of the Noble Eightfold Path -- more for my own benefit than any pretense of instruction. One of the things that I'd like to get more serious about is my understanding of Buddhist ideas and how they relate to … Continue reading (Buddhism) Right Speech
(Buddhism) Right Intention
Right Intention is the second spoke on the wheel of the Noble Eightfold Path, and it makes up the concept of Prajna in Buddhism together with Right View. These two spokes form the foundation of Buddhist thought; once you have an accurate understanding of reality and have decided that you're going to try your best … Continue reading (Buddhism) Right Intention
(Buddhism) Right View
I'm sure I've done this before -- I may have even claimed that I would be running through the entire Noble Eightfold Path until I got distracted by something or discouraged into thinking that I had no business speaking up about this or that no one cared. But I think it's important to get my … Continue reading (Buddhism) Right View
(Personal) The 36th Time
This Saturday, at something like 2:16 AM local time, I will have completed my 36th trip around the sun! I'm not necessarily planning anything intense for my birthday; in the morning, I'll take my dear rabbit Puckles for his annual check-up with the vet, and in the evening I'll share dinner with a few of … Continue reading (Personal) The 36th Time
(Politics) Feeling the Bern, But I’m Still With Her
In 2000, the very first year I was old enough to vote, I turned to Ralph Nader. I was a young voter and fairly liberal, but Al Gore just wasn't inspiring me. Nader, the Green Party candidate for that year, spoke my language with a passion that I could really get behind. Of course, since … Continue reading (Politics) Feeling the Bern, But I’m Still With Her
From the Desk of Jakebe T. Rabbit 