Category: Health and Lifestyle

Engaging the writer’s mind and hearing the Muse’s voice. A few months ago, I took what I thought was going to be a small break, and it turned into a long one. A spiritual practice is something each of us must live, not in theory, but actually in practice. Sometimes, that practice involves giving to…

Each person must find their own balance point between pursing worldly goals and finding inner peace. My apologies for the slow pace of new posts lately. I haven’t lost my enthusiasm, nor have I run out of material. Over the last three weeks, my life circumstances made it necessary to focus on worldly matters. I…

Discover cutting-edge strategies and timeless wisdom to enhance your focus in any endeavor. Distractions in meditation include (1) Sensual Desire, which is the attachment to sensory pleasures; (2) Ill Will, characterized by negative emotions towards oneself or others; (3) Sloth and Torpor, combining physical and mental sluggishness; (4) Restlessness and Remorse, involving unease and regret;…

An insightful look into how the classical obstacles of Buddhism relate to modern challenges in meditation and mindfulness. Most people’s minds are a jumble of disturbing thoughts, moods that rise and fall like waves in stormy seas, and high levels of anxiety. This is not a failing; it’s the natural human condition. Peace of mind…

We all pay a steep emotional price for the benefits we obtain from our capitalist system. A dog-eat-dog world Modern economic theory tells us that each person acting through their own selfish desire animates the “invisible hand” of the market. Apparently, this is considered a good thing. Economists would have us believe that nobody acts…

No matter which side you choose, if you identify as a political partisan, you will always be unhappy, anxious, and dissatisfied. The American People are deeply divided, more so than at any time since the Civil War. There are many reasons for these divisions, none of which matter to political partisanship’s emotional effect on everyone…

How I came to spend several hundred hours in a float tank practicing Tibetan Buddhist Lamrim. A personal journey From the time I was very young, I observed the activity of my mind. When I was three or four years old, I remember several occasions when I lay in bed and noticed this odd feeling…

Salvation in the afterlife is the shared quest in Pure Land Buddhism and Evangelical Christianity. Salesmanship of Organized Religion Religions must compete in the marketplace of ideas. If the sales pitch isn’t compelling, people won’t follow it. Without adherents, the religion dies. Religions all use a carrot-and-stick approach. Some emphasize the carrot, like the Christian…

A dry float tent was far more practical than installing an at-home float tank, and it’s nearly as good for meditation. The call of the mystic When I was in my early teens, I watched the movie Altered States, a horror film based loosely on the life of John C. Lilly, who, among other accomplishments,…