One thing I have definitely observed is that if I miss a sitting, my ego grows larger, more sensitive, and more powerful. I get jealous of other people being the centre of attention for too long. I get sensitive about whether or not people like me. I feel like I need to make mention of …
Conflict Resolution for Meditators
If conflict acts as an opportunity and anger as a catalyst, what happens when the catalyst no longer arises? …and the opportunity no longer makes sense? This past year has been an unusual one; not ONCE have I felt anger towards an individual! Where I used to experience anger or annoyance, I now get curious. …
Can Anything Be Service?
I'm one of those people who was trying to help people. I wondered things like: is this really helping? Am I doing this just because it makes me look good? Do these people want my help? What are we trying to help these people do? Am I just trying to make them more like me? …
The wisdom of Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen has long been one of my heroes and favorite musicians. I love his stories, his heart, his social conscience, his identification with real life ordinary people. I love his horn sections, his no-flash style, and his growl. But I never really thought of him as interested in meditation, or even as having a …
Faith
What a strange word. One definition from dictionary.com is, "a belief that is not based on proof." This made no sense to me when I was younger. Why would anyone believe in something that can't be proven? Can't we just accept that we don't know everything there is to know? Why do people need to …
Moments of Satori – experiencing one’s true nature
by Sankit Mali from India What would you do if your bike stops at the traffic signal and then refuses to start again? Why all of sudden people in the lane want to show that they have those irritating horns? How would you react if the situation persists and you end up spending thirty minutes …
Continue reading Moments of Satori – experiencing one’s true nature
Spreading My Wings
I've been here before. Everything seems good; life is settling down. My meditations don't have painful gross sensations, but I can't really feel the subtle sensations either. I know it will just take a few days for my mind to settle. I know a new set of challenges awaits me at a deeper level of …
Father Knows Best…I guess
The Buddha’s PhD dissertation; what subject was it on? From what I understand, he didn’t write at all. Nor did Jesus. Nor did Socrates. But these three men are all considered wise. How to reconcile the wisdoms of the ages with the scientific method? This is a question that has troubled me recently. Many of …
Warm People
My practice is making me more aware that sharing warmth doesn't always come naturally for me, and when I meet a warm person I'm kind of in awe. Just like the accumulation of impurity, I’m hyper-aware of all the purity that may have touched a person, and fascinated to ponder it's source… was it their parents? Schooling? Community? I’d like …
The Role Of Money
We blame these little pieces of paper for so much. Does it deserve the blame? Money doesn't have a brain, malicious intent, greed, or even a plan. It's just paper. Problems only start to occur when people enter the scene so I don't think we can blame the paper. Money is also a necessary as …
Living Vipassana 