Archived Posts
Birth of Buddha – April 8, 2012 Meditation
Birth of Buddha Hanamatsuri – Flower Festival Today we celebrate the birth of the Buddha. In different cultures and locations it is celebrated at different times. There are numerous stories that have been told regarding the birth of the Buddha, almost certainly apocryphal. We don’t know for certain the exact day. We are reasonably certain though that the mother of Buddha died at childbirth and the Buddha was raised by his aunt. We are also…
Outcomes – April 7, 2012 Meditation
Outcomes I have been doing a lot of driving lately, and will be doing even more over the next few months. I set out in my car with a clear destination in mind, a route planned out, a length of stay, a purpose for the trip; all of the details are worked out so upon completion I’ll know I am finished and whether or not I accomplished what I wanted. Some of my trips will…
Wondrous Things – April 6, 2012 Meditation
Wondrous Things As we practice Buddhism and begin to see changes in our lives we frequently have the desire to influence others to also practice Buddhism. We are certain the happiness we experience can be beneficial to our friends or family members. Sometimes we are successful in sharing; yet often we are not. Convincing our closest friends or our family members to embrace Buddhist practice is perhaps one of the most difficult practices. In some…
Slow Movement – April 5, 2012 Meditation
Slow Movement There is a growing trend lately that is variedly called the ‘slow movement’. I have heard it applied to many things, probably most notably to eating and reading. The idea being that a person is supposed to do the task with deliberate slowness, which is supposed to set up a more ideal condition for being mindful of the activity. I myself and not particularly fond of calling it ‘slow’ because it seems somewhat…