Knowledge – Chains or Ladder?
There is an interesting debate that shows up in spiritual circles around teachings. Is knowledge and concepts useful or a barrier to being? As I’ve noted prior, there is a spectrum on this subject around …
The Present of Life
Recently, a group of us have been watching Thich Nhat Hanh [roughly pronounced Tik N’yat Hawn] on YouTube. He is a Zen Buddhist monk originally from Vietnam. Rather than taking a passive approach to the …
Forms of Samadhi
First, let’s define what Samadhi means. It is an experience of yoga or union with the Absolute. Oneness. Some definitions use it in terms of practice, but as that is a mental exercise, it cannot …
Getting Clear
Recently, in a correspondence with a friend of mine, they expressed their struggle with emotion. I shared some ideas they found useful. I drafted them into this post and expanded on it. It’s not that …
No Control
In the post Desire and Control, I spoke of the idea that we have to let go of our drive to hold and resist, let go of control. Does no control mean out of control? …
Desire and Control
Desire is a natural quality of being human. It is our drive to act and give attention, our most precious resource. However, desire can come to us in a number of ways. There are basic …
Ego, Emotions, and Identity: the Person
In a number of posts here, I talk about the process of awakening. The gradual clearing and increasing refinement of perception that eventually allows us to see through the layers of illusion of mind and …
Perception without Perception
After first awakening there is typically a gradual process of unfolding while the Self moves forward, absorbing mind, heart, and gut. One has switched from being a person experiencing silence to being the silent observer, …
Fly Lightly, Dive Deep
Over on Takuin’s blog, Eric mentioned a nice quote: “angels can fly because they take themselves so lightly“. This raises an interesting point about when we try and conceive of other realities. Land based creatures …
Nothing Personal
One of the more curious illusions that most people suffer from, literally, is the idea that it’s personal. That anything, or rather everything that happens is about me. Or deserves to be treated on the …
Time
Apologies for the lack of my own writing, if you’re missing it. Have been absorbed recently in a tech project. Also, nothing has arisen to be said. Hope you’re enjoying the quotes. D
The Modern Dilemma — Disguised Sadness
Burt Harding has written another great article, titled as above. “Why do so many people suffer sadness often disguised behind smiles? What is the common dilemma of such inner pain? The reason is a simple …