Dec 20, 20211 minBodhisattva Vows, RevisitedI practiced with the Kwan Um School of Zen, in Chicago, then in LA. They often recited the Bodhisattva Vows (a Bodhisattva is an aspiring...
Nov 11, 20211 minFree-form Awareness Gets More Free-formRead a quote somewhere from the book “Cultivating the Empty Field” - about the Chinese Zen (Chan) Master Hongzhi: “Silent illumination,...
Jun 29, 20211 minTired, Bad Mood, Curmudgeonly - It’s All PracticeWoke up really early the other morning - needed to get 3-4 more hours of sleep. Returned to bed, tried being aware of breathing, relaxing...
Mar 28, 20202 minAwareness is The Prime Directive: Empowering the “Oversight Committee”(Had a very busy day, working with new software, tackling the learning curve, doing some necessary planning / decision-making. Toward the...
Jan 13, 20201 minThe Practice of Non-SelfThe Buddha taught that there is no ongoing, abiding thing in anyone or anything that can be called a “self”. That which we call “self” is...
Nov 25, 20191 minTaking Refuge in AwarenessIn his book, “The Sound of Silence”, Ajahn Sumedho says that, better than taking refuge in changing conditions, like happenings, our...
Nov 25, 20191 min2 Important Meanings of “Let Go”We talk about letting go of thoughts, letting go of clinging, etc. I think it’s important to distinguish “letting go” from making these...
Nov 8, 20191 minLetting Go of Thoughts, Feelings - Awareness of Them Comes First! Practicing mindfulness in daily life is like a mix - a ratio of letting go and awareness. Yesterday, it felt like the letting go...
Nov 5, 20192 minLet Go, and Mindfulness Appears Without Effort! Getting (back) into “A Still Forest Pool” by Achan Cha. On p. 2: “The heart of the path is so simple. No need for long explanations. Give...
Oct 26, 20191 minThe Awareness Way of Life is a Coup d’Etat! Making the switch from the very common mindless way of life to the mindfulness way is a radical change in who’s in charge - a coup...
Oct 15, 20191 minAware of Thought, Let Go, Aware of Peace Mind Open to thoughts that come in, even negative, complaining ones. Shining bare awareness on them, they are acknowledged, then they fade...
Aug 30, 20192 minDLMP - A Definite Way to Bodhisattva-ness!!! Woke up and read a blurb about intention - from Tricycle’s Buddha fest 2019 announcement: “Everything Hangs on Intention: How to Align...
Feb 8, 20191 minTrue Life Purpose!!Reading stuff about Seuhn Sahn in Jon Kabat-Zinnʻs book “Coming Back to Our Senses”…today, remembered about his / Kwan Umʻs core...
Jan 31, 20192 minMindfulness Practice ProgressionThinking a lot about what I want to do with my life next… Checking out my mindfulness songs and thinking about the talk-with-music thing,...
Dec 11, 20182 minVow, Means, Contrasts, Music, FitnessVow Reminding is needed every day, especially days that are filled with events. With daily repetition, remembering will become more...
Nov 30, 20185 minTrue Life - from Mindfulness to Boddhisatva Action to Music, Speaking, Daily Life! Main Purpose and Practice Doing mindfulness practice - being aware of thoughts that come, letting them go / coming back to this moment,...
Oct 22, 20181 minJust Do It! Very Important!I practiced meditation (sitting, walking, chanting, everyday-life-mindfulness) for many years, but, due to an error, only got so far.*...
May 20, 20182 minMindfulness: How to Deal with ThoughtsWe want to practice mindfulness, and that means being present in this moment, rather than lost in thought. But thoughts invariably come...
May 5, 20181 minSitting - a Great Tool When Things Are Difficult Even when we’ve been practicing coming back to this moment, there can be times when difficult situations - problems in relationships, for...