The Way In is the Way Out
.... and Life Coaching with Joe
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THE NEXT STEP
I was waiting at the top of the steps leading down to the front door at Gampo Abbey Monastery. It was a typically cold wet March Nova Scotia morning. A number of us had been lined up waiting in the rain for some time. Finally, we got the call that Sakyong Mipham … Read the rest
CHARIOTS OF DISAPPOINTMENT
Pema Chodron tells the story of a wedding that was officiated by Chogyam Trungpa. Trungpa often used a Japanese hand fan during his talks. And in this instance, as the couple were kneeled before him he hit the would be groom on the head with the fan and said, “pain is not … Read the rest
These are frightening times.
It would be reasonable to want to run and hide. But, there is an alternative. That alternative is not our usual strategies. It’s not stand and fight. It’s not medicate our way past it. It’s not checking out till someone else handles it.
The way out is the way in. It
The adage ‘be here now’ has currently taken on profound meaning.
Here in this viral age we are forced into a very practical interpretation of now. Remembering what was, even a month ago, can be unspeakably sad. Any realistic look at the future makes us anxious and depressed. ‘How long will this last? And what
It’s like the song says, “waking up is hard to do.” Or maybe that was breaking up. In either case, the process is as painful as it is necessary. It’s about change. And who doesn’t love to hate change?
Growing hurts. This is why the teachings of the Buddha begin with the Truth of Suffering. … Read the rest
We are not always healthy. We are sometimes broken and easily triggered. We are sometimes depleted and feel we need to fix something, add something, change something or devour anything. What is actually devoured is our capacity to satisfy our needs. The more our wants cannibalize our needs, the more our wanting becomes an obsession.… Read the rest
The cessation of suffering is a possibility on the path of awakening. It is a continuously occurring experience that indicated that suffering is not permanent or solid. A classically western application is to take any statement to its extreme, as though the cessation of suffering indicated a permanent solution, a rainbow at the end of … Read the rest
MEDITATION? REALLY?
Meditation means many things, even if some definitions seem contradictory. We might ‘meditate’ on a decision, which would imply deep thinking. Or, we might let go of thoughts in meditation, which implies a clear state free of mental constructs. And there are just as many reasons why we might do this. Some people … Read the rest
HERE IS A LINK TO A TALK GIVEN AT SHAMBHALA NEW YORK (followed by a written companion post. )
A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS
I’m writing this from deep winter. It’s a time of environmental, spiritual and moral darkness. My spirits, like many, seem very low at times. Despite the triumphant chorus of another … Read the rest
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