The Three Poisons

The three poisons or the three roots (of suffering) were the subject of Brother Phap Vu‘s dharma talk on Saturday, April 30, 2016 at the Earth Holder Retreat in the Deer Park Monastery. The three poisons are variously translated as shown in the following table (reading down) desire greed attraction hatred ill-will aversion ignorance illusion […]

Inner and Outer Purpose

Yesterday, we learned a lot about volition and what we want to do in our lives – our inner and outer purpose. Mostly, as spiritual seekers, our inner and outer purpose may not be that obvious to us. Eckart Tolle tells us what Einstein wanted to accomplish and tells us why we are confused: “I […]

Are You Doing What You Want?

Are you doing what you want in your life? Are you listening to your inner pilot light – that ‘still, small voice’ inside of you? Do you even know what you really want to be doing? Each of these important questions could be used as a koan for your meditation practice right now. “We rarely […]

Rejoice In What We Do Have

Dr. Rick Hanson authors a weekly newsletter which I subscribe to called Just One Thing. His posting this week is titled, “Feed the Mouse.” If you got cheese, feed the mouse! Dr. Hanson was the host for the Sounds True series, The Compassionate Brain and the author of Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and […]

The Horrible Conditions Of Human Trafficking

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh is now offering a retreat in Ayutthaya, Thailand. This particular day, Comeron Conaway’s attention was drawn to the horrible conditions of human trafficking, which is a major problem in places like Thailand. In this article which appeared in the Woman News Network on April 12, 2013, he ponders how mindfulness […]

Moral Injury

Today, I am in the beautiful redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Ben Lomond, California. The trees are so beautiful. People know about the redwoods in Muir Woods, and these are just as wonderful. Just a little while ago, I was walking on a path and felt a gentle breeze blowing in the wind. […]

Feeding Off the Sun

Check out this video about an 80 year old man who hasn’t eaten for 70 years. He has been feeding off the Sun and doesn’t eat food as we know it. Edible food is one of the four nutriments. The other three are sensory impressions, volition, and consciousness. Is it possible to feed off the […]