Over the past few weeks, I have learned a lot about foods to avoid for physical and spiritual well-being. Remember, I am not a physician and the advice here should be considered anecdotal, at best. Since the beginning of February, I was told by Michael Broffman at the Pine Street Clinic to avoid avocado, eggplant, […]
Stories
One Of My Pet Peeves
February 10, 2014 by
I received this information from the Silva Live System and it taps into one of my pet peeves – the pharmaceutical industry. I hate what they have done to medical choice, and unfortunately, I have to rely on some of their misgivings right now. The drug companies place such awful ads on television that I […]
The Three Jewels
February 2, 2014 by
Every Buddhist practitioner takes refuge in the Three Jewels. The Three Jewels are The Buddha, The Dharma, and The Sangha. The Buddha What does it mean to take refuge in the Buddha? When we take refuge in the Buddha, we aspire to awaken the seeds of joy, happiness, peace, and serenity in our lives and […]
Giving And Receiving
January 19, 2014 by
Many years ago, while listening to a talk by Pema Chodron, I heard her say something about a Tibetan practice called tonglen. A loose translation of tonglen is “giving and receiving.” Even a couple of years ago, I attended a concert in Oakland, California in which one of the artists played the piano and sang […]
Let My Heart Fly Open
January 1, 2014 by
Welcome to 2014. May this be the year that all your dreams come true. To begin the New Year with the right mindset, I’d like to offer the following metta practice. Metta is the Pali word for loving kindness. Loving kindness, in turn, is one of the Four Immeasurable Minds taught by the Buddha. The […]
Celebration Of The Winter Solstice
December 25, 2013 by
If I remember correctly, Father Eli told me that the celebration of Christmas is actually a pagan celebration of the winter solstice. The people of ancient times and even now today, celebrate the solstice with festivals and rituals. There is physical evidence for this at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England. The massive stones are organized in […]
What’s Wrong With Our Healthcare System
December 23, 2013 by
Last Thursday, I saw the movie, Dallas Buyers Club, starring Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, and Jennifer Garner. The story is about Ron Woodroof, a Dallas rodeo performer and electrician. He contracts AIDS and uses all of his available time, energy, and material resources to bring in alternative medicines and share with other AIDS victims. He […]
The Serene Face Of Charlie Watts
November 9, 2013 by
In the 60’s and 70’s, I was never much of a Rolling Stones fan. I couldn’t get no satisfaction! I didn’t memorize their songs and wasn’t even familiar with the names other than Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. I had not seen them perform, and yet their music was familiar to me. When I saw […]
The Perfection Of Concentration
October 24, 2013 by
The perfection of concentration is the next paramita in the series of articles on the six paramitas taught by the Buddha. Paramita is a Sanskrit word meaning “crossing to the other shore.” By practicing the paramitas of generosity, ethics, patience, diligence, concentration, and wisdom, we cross over to the other shore from ill-being to well-being, […]
The Perfection Of Diligence
October 23, 2013 by
According to Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, the fourth paramita is the perfection of diligence. In previous articles, we learned that the Sanskrit word, paramita, means, “Crossing over to the other shore,” from ill-being to well-being. Perfection and completeness are also acceptable translations. The traditional way of talking about the perfection of diligence is to […]
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