The Scene
“When something needs to be done in the world to rectify the wrongs, if one is really concerned with benefiting others, one needs to be engaged, involved.” -–14th Dalai Lama
What is the state of our world today? And what’s Buddhism got to do with it? This section offers commentary on where and how Buddhism interfaces with other larger-picture, higher-level topics: like politics, economy, international relations, the environment, and virtual reality.
I recently turned thirty, and to celebrate, I spent a long weekend in a cabin in the woods with a group of my closest friends. Out of the ten of us that were there, none are married: one is engaged, another is in a serious relationship, and the rest are basically single. In other areas, [...]
Bestow kindness and aid the poor, so that they can be at peace. When you witness people killing, have thoughts of compassion. – The Shramanera Vinaya I’ve been noticing…. One is that people seem to always have some kind of interpersonal conflict going on, and a second is that there’s always news of violence and [...]
There is hope! There is a place of inner confidence from which we can see what’s going on. This isn’t the false bravado of ego that represents an over-compensation for not knowing. Nor is it the misguided sense of certainty through which we set up an external symbol and to which we give up our [...]
The symbols, structures and beliefs we use to organize and sedate this endless river of impressions and habits are provisional and temporary illusions of stability. Emotions, thoughts and perceptions are moving through our awareness in constant flux. The symbols, structures and beliefs we use to organize and sedate this endless river of impressions and habits [...]
“’Serious’ art, which is not primarily about getting money out of you, is more apt to make you uncomfortable, or to force you to work hard to access its pleasures, the same way that in real life true pleasure is usually a by-product of hard work and discomfort…. The problem isn’t that today’s readership is [...]
About thirty students from Humboldt State University came to visit the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas last weekend, to participate in the monastic lifestyle as an educational experience. I was asked to guide the group around campus, and I also sat in on the Q&A sessions that the Ciity held for them, so I had [...]
While reading some of Master Hua’s reflections, I came across this story: There is a story about when the students from mainland China first came to Taiwan. Because they were fleeing for their lives, none of the students, except maybe one or two, remembered to bring their diplomas. When they applied for college in Taiwan, [...]
Until Mount Etna speaks, no one will know Which village on the mountain’s slopes Will be the next to be destroyed by lava. It’s said that every village on the mountain Must take its turn, once in a century. Material for building, though, is right at hand: And once the lava cools and turns grey-black, [...]