Habari gani, everyone? Today is a celebration of imani, or faith. Faith is a tricky concept that brings people uncomfortably close to spirituality. Here it means to believe, with all of our hearts, in our people -- our parents and teachers and leaders, and in the righteousness of our struggle. Even the secular language leans … Continue reading Kwanzaa: Imani / Faith
Category: Buddhism
Kwanzaa: Ujima / Collective Work and Responsibility
Habari gani, folks? (By the way, this is a "traditional" Kwanzaa greeting meaning "What's the news?" in Swahili!) Today we celebrate Ujima, a Swahili word for "collective work and responsibility." This speaks to the multi-faceted, intersectional nature of our shared struggle. Inequality (and white supremacy) is a hydra that targets groups with different tactics, but … Continue reading Kwanzaa: Ujima / Collective Work and Responsibility
Kwanzaa: Kujichagulia / Self-Determination
Habari gani, everyone? Today's principle is kujichagulia, or self-determination if Swahili isn't your thing. Right after ensuring we're united with our kin in common struggle, the ability to "define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves" is the most essential principle. For most of us living in subcultures, we intrinsically know the … Continue reading Kwanzaa: Kujichagulia / Self-Determination
Kwanzaa: Umoja / Unity
Habari gani, friends? Today is the first day of Kwanzaa, a completely made-up holiday meant to be celebrated by the African diaspora -- but nowadays is mostly the butt of jokes about what a silly and mysterious holiday it is. To be fair, it IS a silly and mysterious holiday! Over the past several years, … Continue reading Kwanzaa: Umoja / Unity
The Vow
We've reviewed the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, two core principles of Buddhism. From these two ideas there's a whole universe of interpretations, additions, and expansions. Every time Buddhism is introduced to a new culture, it tends to adapt towards the specific pressures that exist at that time. Tibetan Buddhism is different … Continue reading The Vow
The Path
I find it's a good idea whenever you're setting out on a new endeavor to take stock of where you're going, why you're going there and what you want to do on the way. The new year is a new endeavor of sorts, so before diving into any major goals I want to pause for … Continue reading The Path
The Truths
Happy New Year to all of you! It is a time of fresh starts and renewal for me. I love viewing the new year as a fresh piece of paper, a time to construct the next 12 months with focused intentionality. As part of that, I've found it's useful to revisit the foundations of my … Continue reading The Truths
Constant Change
In the relative chaos of the past two years, my job has been mercifully stable. I work for a Silicon Valley tech company, and I honestly feel lucky to be here. The company was founded with a mission I care about. The people I work with are smart and diverse and awesome, and I can … Continue reading Constant Change
Bagel? Googly Eye?
Kurt Vonnegut was the first writer to make me really feel nihilism where I lived. Cat's Cradle is an early novel of his most famous for the form of its world's destroyer -- ice-nine, a form of water that freezes at room temperature. But what makes it linger in my mind after reading it 20 … Continue reading Bagel? Googly Eye?
The Balancing Dance
I've always wanted to be a more conscientious person -- the kind of rabbit who sends "thank you" cards when someone's done him a good turn; or surprises his friends, neighbors, and regular acquaintances with a thoughtful gift on a birthday or holiday; someone who remembers the names of coworkers' children or pets, and asks … Continue reading The Balancing Dance
From the Desk of Jakebe T. Rabbit 