Yesterday I celebrated my 37th birthday by watching Kubo and the Two Strings, playing two rounds of mini-golf, and having a dinner out with a few friends. It was tremendously fun, and I really appreciate folks coming out to help me ring in another personal new year. I have amazing friends, and to say that … Continue reading I’m…37? Yeah, 37.
Tag: engaged buddhism
(Personal) Mission Statement
This is an amazing world, inhabited by amazing people. We don't have to go very far to see an animal or plant that does something incredible, if we stop to think about it. All around us, there are countless people each with their own rich inner worlds and intense, beautiful, heartbreaking stories. I think the … Continue reading (Personal) Mission Statement
(Personal) The Importance of Love
We're less than 24 hours away from Valentine's Day, a holiday that a lot of people out there have a problem with. Traditionally we've thought of it as something only people linked in romantic relationships care about -- single people need not apply. I've always thought that this was kind of a limited view of … Continue reading (Personal) The Importance of Love
(Politics) Self-Respect as a Form of Protest
As a culture, I feel like we're bathing in a pool of reminders to consider ourselves discontent, incomplete, and unworthy. Advertising is predicated on the idea of creating a need for whatever needs to be sold, and since it's so ubiquitous we're awash in a chorus of commercials, billboards and banners that scream to us … Continue reading (Politics) Self-Respect as a Form of Protest
(Movies) Hold On To Each Other or The Krampus Will Pick Us Off One By One
Christmas-themed horror movies have a really poor track record; except for Gremlins, I can't think of anything that could even remotely be considered good. Well, until now at least. I've already gotten into a few debates about this particular film with other folks, so please understand your mileage may vary. But for me, last year's … Continue reading (Movies) Hold On To Each Other or The Krampus Will Pick Us Off One By One
(Personal) Affirmations
One of the things it's been recommended we do to prepare for the Trump Administration is to learn how to be our own lights, to live our values openly and consistently. What does that mean? Well, Gandhi put it best when he said to "be the change you want to see in the world". I … Continue reading (Personal) Affirmations
(Buddhism) Right Concentration
You know how there are certain people who, when you meet them, make you feel like you're the only person in the world for as long as they're talking to you? The full weight of their attention is startling at first, because it's not something we're used to. In these busy times, there are always … Continue reading (Buddhism) Right Concentration
(Buddhism) Right Mindfulness
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
(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
From the Desk of Jakebe T. Rabbit 