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
Tag: engaged buddhism
(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) Retaining Mindfulness Under Stress
So far this year has been an obstacle course, as I've mentioned a few times here. Work has flared up significantly as I shift positions and my company makes fairly major changes on an organizational and product level; priorities have been shuffled accordingly, and even though I'm getting better at juggling many things at once … Continue reading (Personal) Retaining Mindfulness Under Stress
(Buddhism) Using Anger in Practice
Anger is uncomfortable, but we need to be more careful about how we get rid of it.
(Buddhism) Taking Refuge
I'm not going to lie -- 2016 has been pretty stressful so far. The day job has been demanding and constantly shifting; racial and identity politics have been as contentious as ever; and the rise of Trump signalling the fall of the GOP has been one of the most depressing stories to follow. Meanwhile, there … Continue reading (Buddhism) Taking Refuge
(Personal) Spiritual Appropriation: Lent
Today is the first day of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and contemplation for those of us who practice Christianity. It begins with Ash Wednesday, where Christians are marked with the ashes of palm leaves that had been blessed during last year's Palm Sunday and told "From dust you are, and to dust you … Continue reading (Personal) Spiritual Appropriation: Lent
Further Confusion 2016!
Folks, it's that time again -- the time when downtown San Jose is suddenly flooded with bizarre people descending onto the Convention Center to engage their weird hobby. The volleyball girls are back! Oh, and also Further Confusion is coming up this weekend. Of course I'll be there -- just look for the portly black … Continue reading Further Confusion 2016!
From the Desk of Jakebe T. Rabbit 