Buddhadasa was a very famous Thai Buddhist monk who lived between 1906 and 1993. He was known as an innovative interpreter of Buddhism as well as Thay folk beliefs. Even as an ordained monk, he developed a personal view that considered all faiths as one. In these words of wisdom from Buddhadasa, we learn how […]
Wisdom and Compassion
April 26, 2014 by
Wisdom and compassion are the cornerstones of Buddha’s teachings. Wisdom includes the teaching of emptiness. Compassion includes the teaching of interbeing or interdependence and altruism based on the insight of interbeing. What do we mean by emptiness? When you say that something is empty, you must ask, “Empty of what?” Take that mug on the […]
Was Einstein a Buddhist?
April 24, 2014 by
I’m wondering if Einstein was a Buddhist. These words of wisdom certainly point to a deep understanding of the nature of interbeing – the nature of interdependence. His statement, “…that we are here for the sake of each other,” is a statement that points to our interconnection with each other and our interdependence on each […]
The Manifesto by Charlie Chaplin
April 23, 2014 by
A bowler hat. Baggy pants. A comedic mustache. What’s the first thing that comes to mind? For most people, it’s the comic visionary Charlie Chaplin. And although he entertained early movie goers in silence… it was his words of wisdom that had the power to inspire. His iconic speech in the movie “The Dictator” is […]
Clouds Do Not Change The Sky
April 21, 2014 by
Lama Tsultrim Allione is one of the many Tibetan Buddhist teachers that I read regularly in Tricycle, Shambhala Sun, and Buddhadharma magazines. Her writings are as clear and easy to understand as the cloudless sky. According to the Tara Mandala website, she was one of the first American women to be ordained as a Tibetan […]
Embrace Everything With Clarity
April 20, 2014 by
Stephen Batchelor is a former Buddhist monk who wrote a book that I frequently return to. Actually, it is the book on tape called Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening that I love. It is narrated by Stephen Batchelor, himself. The book tries to present Buddhism in modern terms, with all the mysticism, […]
Giving Up Addictions
April 18, 2014 by
These words of wisdom from Pema Chodron came from the Tricycle Daily Dharma on April 15. Pema is the director of Gampo Abbey – one of the few Buddhist centers in North America that maintain the traditional monastic precepts. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh calls these the Five Mindfulness Trainings, which his has revived from […]
Zen Practice
April 16, 2014 by
Peter Matthiessen is famous for his book, The Snow Leopard. He passed away on April 5, 2014 at the age of 81. It turns out the Matthiessen was a Zen Buddhist. I did not know this until these words of wisdom came in an email. Zen is really just a reminder to stay alive and […]
Awareness Is A Life-and-Death Matter
April 15, 2014 by
These words of wisdom come from my teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. We call him Thay, meaning beloved teacher. This teaching is important because in everything we think, say, or do, awareness is a life-and-death matter. When I had breakfast with Thay in 2006, I witnessed the way he would grasp his bowl with […]
Living With Compassion
April 14, 2014 by
As we saw recently in Worthiness, Thomas Merton was an American Trappist monk who was a friend of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, known as Thay by his followers. They met together only one time at Father Merton’s monastery in Gethsemani, Kentuckey in 1966. They were both quite outspoken against the war in Vietnam. They […]
.jpg)
You must be logged in to post a comment.