Category: Buddhism

Ritual and Music – August 17, 2012 Meditation

The following post was contributed by Brian McGuire a member practicing in Connecticut. Ritual and Music In life, we use rituals and music to achieve well-being and experience meaning. For example, rituals we are taught from childhood include washing our hands, covering our mouth when we sneeze, brushing our teeth, and bathing. A parent will explain why they are imposing these rituals, and the child may say he or she understands, but before long the…

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Lotus Sutra Practice Guide – Now available in book form

Now available as a complete book the entire collection of articles posted in the 35-Day Practice series. This book pulls together all the articles into one convenient format. The articles have been edited and in some cases expanded upon. The original articles will remain on the blog and can be accessed for free, however they will not be indexed or sorted other than as they appeared one at a time. The book can be ordered…

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Prayer vs. Meditation – August 16, 2012 Meditation

Prayer vs. Meditation “Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” So goes the line in the story of Snow White. No matter how often or no matter how vigorously the queen beseeched the mirror to tell her she was the fairest the mirror never did. The property of mirrors, if we think about it, is to merely reflect what is before it, not to add to nor subtract from. The mirror…

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Faith As A Bargain – August 15, 2012 Meditation

Faith As A Bargain The bargain goes something like this; if I am good, if I obey all the rules, I do everything required of me, then life will be good and I’ll be treated fairly. For some that is the definition of faith, a faith based upon a wish for security. A faith founded on an attempt to manipulate reality, an attempt to strike a bargain which ultimately does not come true because the…

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