I've been struggling to accept the concept that the path of dhamma is not an intellectual path. Saying so seems to diminish the incredible value of learning how to think. What would our world look like if people weren't making intelligent choices. Could we really just let everything go and "leave it to dhamma" to take …
2 Months Since Leaving The Center
Two months ago I completed 7 months of long-term service at Dhamma Patapa. Everyone was asking me if my time at the center had changed me. I told them that I wouldn't know until I returned to the real world. I took my first course in March of 2010 and I had experienced the difficulties of implementing …
Sex In Society
I think sex is the most confusing subject for young people to get clear direction. Schools work hard to provide academic information about the male and female anatomy, the risks of sexually transmitted diseases, and many are providing information about and resources to obtain contraception. This is a great first step but decisions about sex are rarely …
Strength And Vulnerability
Determination, fearlessness, confidence, convincing, and optimistic are some of the words that come to mind when I reflect on what characterizes a strong leader. I find that my Vipassana practice leads me to be humble, vulnerable, and open. I'm unsure whether my Vipassana practice is helping or hurting me as a leader. It might depend on the audience. One of …
Attraction
I'm both a biologist and a human being and I'm fascinated by what draws people and animals to each other. We're attracted to certain things and repelled by others but why? As a biologist the first question is always how do you attract a mate. It's important that males can demonstrate health and strength because …
Only Wholesome Acts
It's Friday night, I'm home alone, and I'm content. This is a new feeling for me. Just last year I would have felt like I was missing an opportunity to celebrate and have fun. In my sitting this evening a thought came into my head and stuck. "I only want to perform wholesome acts." Wow! …
The Intellectual Path Of A Householder
I've been on a quest to discover the core of love and happiness for over a decade and I believe Vipassana is the shortest path to that core. Meditation is slowly dissolving my attachments and day by day I can feel the vibration of pure love growing stronger in my body. Experiencing this has helped me develop a deeper understanding …
The Needed Support Of The Vipassana Community
Over the last 2+ years that I've been practicing Vipassana I've wondered how the community of meditators could become stronger because I felt like I was on an island facing the challenges of this practice alone. Goenka expresses two foundations of Vipassana that I think foster this lack of community but I don't believe that's his …
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Like Brushing Your Teeth
When I first started my daily meditation practice it felt like a huge chore. Every day I needed to actively convince myself that my time on the pillow was well spent. There was a pattern to these distractions. Sometimes I would be rolling in the events of the day. Sometimes my mind would try to convince …
Memory Triggers
When I return to places I've been before or repeat unique activities it often triggers certain strong memories of the past. When I go swimming I remember cliff jumping with my friends in Hawaii. When I visit my brother at the beach in Connecticut we reminisce about the wonderful parties we've had there. When I …
Living Vipassana 