Ending Suffering, Part 4: Ending Me
Some years ago I had a remarkable dream. In it I was a raindrop tumbling from a great, gray cloud and I felt ecstatically free the way one can in flying dreams. Then, suddenly, the clouds parted and below me stretched a vast and endless blue ocean and to my horror I realized I was [...]
Ending Suffering – When Enough is Enough: Part 1
His name is Gene Sprague. He paces the Golden Gate's walkway at its highest point, occasionally stopping to gaze down at the water more than 200 feet below. Immersed in their picture-taking, nearby tourists fail to notice him. His pacing stops, he brushes his long black hair from his face, pushes himself into a sitting [...]
Don’t Take My Word for It
Recently I stumbled across the following. Take a look and consider its implications not just for your medical treatment, but for all aspects of your life. One study found that when confronted with a patient with back pain, surgeons prescribed surgery, physical therapists thought that therapy was indicated and yes, acupuncturists were sure needles were [...]
Saying No to the Role of a Lifetime
Imagine that you are an actor and the director calls with a new assignment. It goes something like this: “We’re sending you into a new theatre for the role of a lifetime.” So far, so good. “But be forewarned you are joining a hostile cast and some of the other actors may not be welcoming [...]
Self-Awareness: The Meaning of Life
Many of us have a relationship with someone who is utterly out of touch with his or her own behavior. You know the type, forever blaming a mate, society, the Communists, sun spots for what ails them. They repeat the same mistakes over and over again and are forever blaming the world for their problems, [...]
In the Shadow of the Podium
There are many thoughts that haunt the average human, and one of the most prevalent goes something like this: What do I have to show for my life? Did I make a difference? What will my life have meant? This mindset is summed up nicely during the concluding minutes of Saving Private Ryan, when the [...]
All is Well
What if everything is really, really OK? What if, as the mystics have taught, all is well, all has always been well and it always will be? Have you ever let yourself believe this - to really believe this? From an early age we are conditioned to be cautious, be careful, not to screw it [...]
The Wisdom of the Child’s Perspective
My son has the dubious distinction of being, well, my son. I say that because unlike a lot of other 8-year-olds he receives the occasional earful of spiritual woo-woo from his old man. Fortunately, my son is a good sport about it all and, in my defense, he actually brings up the stuff as much [...]
The Art of Genuine Compassion
Picture an individual who, for one reason or another, annoys you. I don’t care how “Zen” you are, there is someone in your life who fits this bill (a boss, a spouse, a child, the neighbor, the driver who cut you off in traffic this morning). Really picture this person, what it is that annoys [...]
The Director in Your Head
Few of us in this day and age haven’t heard the expression, “What you put your mind to is what you become” or “Your thoughts are things so be careful with your thoughts,” or some version of the same. Thus the more motivated of us walk around thinking, “Gotta be careful what I think.” The [...]
-
Ending Suffering, Part 4: Ending Me
Some years ago I had a remarkable dream. In it I was a raindrop tumbling from a great, gray cloud and I felt ecstatically free the way one can in flying dreams. Then, suddenly, the clouds parted and below me stretched a vast and endless blue ocean and to my horror I realized I was [...]
-
Ending Suffering – When Enough is Enough: Part 1
His name is Gene Sprague. He paces the Golden Gate's walkway at its highest point, occasionally stopping to gaze down at the water more than 200 feet below. Immersed in their picture-taking, nearby tourists fail to notice him. His pacing stops, he brushes his long black hair from his face, pushes himself into a sitting [...]
Don’t Take My Word for It
Recently I stumbled across the following. Take a look and consider its implications not just for your medical treatment, but for all aspects of your life. One study found that when confronted with a patient with back pain, surgeons prescribed surgery, physical therapists thought that therapy was indicated and yes, acupuncturists were sure needles were [...]
Saying No to the Role of a Lifetime
Imagine that you are an actor and the director calls with a new assignment. It goes something like this: “We’re sending you into a new theatre for the role of a lifetime.” So far, so good. “But be forewarned you are joining a hostile cast and some of the other actors may not be welcoming [...]
Self-Awareness: The Meaning of Life
Many of us have a relationship with someone who is utterly out of touch with his or her own behavior. You know the type, forever blaming a mate, society, the Communists, sun spots for what ails them. They repeat the same mistakes over and over again and are forever blaming the world for their problems, [...]
In the Shadow of the Podium
There are many thoughts that haunt the average human, and one of the most prevalent goes something like this: What do I have to show for my life? Did I make a difference? What will my life have meant? This mindset is summed up nicely during the concluding minutes of Saving Private Ryan, when the [...]
All is Well
What if everything is really, really OK? What if, as the mystics have taught, all is well, all has always been well and it always will be? Have you ever let yourself believe this - to really believe this? From an early age we are conditioned to be cautious, be careful, not to screw it [...]
The Wisdom of the Child’s Perspective
My son has the dubious distinction of being, well, my son. I say that because unlike a lot of other 8-year-olds he receives the occasional earful of spiritual woo-woo from his old man. Fortunately, my son is a good sport about it all and, in my defense, he actually brings up the stuff as much [...]
The Art of Genuine Compassion
Picture an individual who, for one reason or another, annoys you. I don’t care how “Zen” you are, there is someone in your life who fits this bill (a boss, a spouse, a child, the neighbor, the driver who cut you off in traffic this morning). Really picture this person, what it is that annoys [...]
The Director in Your Head
Few of us in this day and age haven’t heard the expression, “What you put your mind to is what you become” or “Your thoughts are things so be careful with your thoughts,” or some version of the same. Thus the more motivated of us walk around thinking, “Gotta be careful what I think.” The [...]