The Way In is the Way Out
.... and Life Coaching with Joe
MONDAYS 7pm (et) - new link!
Greetings on this bright and cold January morning.
It’s inaugural day in the US. Dharmajunkies will commemorate the occasion by remembering the lives and works of Doctor Martin Luther King. We also remember President Jimmy Carter. We honor their sacrifice, intelligence and compassion.
As well, we also remember the passing of David lynch the great … Read the rest
Deeply rooted pain causes great suffering in our life. And the intensity by which we experience pain varies from person to person. However, it is not a competition. We don’t have to argue over the fact that we all experience pain. Pain is our human heritage. Although our pain feels worst to us as … Read the rest
The Brahmaviharas, sometimes translated as the Four Immeasurable Minds, are early Buddhist heart practices that are still embraced by most major schools of Buddhism today. They are loving kindness, compassion, resonant joy, and equanimity. Tonight at Dharmajunkies we will discuss the Brahmaviharas; their Sanskrit origins, their roles in our lives, and … Read the rest
I had a friend who was a poet. I felt he was closing off to me and I asked if I had hurt his feelings. He replied, “I only have one feeling, and it’s always hurt.” He was a difficult and complex person and yet everyone wanted more of him. This wounded soul asked nothing … Read the rest
TAKING MY FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER
How can we be less impacted by circumstances as we move through life? Friction in our friendships, difficulties at the office, contention between family members, are common clashes. As well, worry over an uncertain future and thoughts triggered from a wounded past provoke from within. We seem to have … Read the rest
Stepping Past Mental Confusion.
Walking through life one breath at a time sounds very beautiful and Buddhisty. Yet to our everyday brains, it feels pretty impractical.
In a world filled with endless information and impulses, the idea of simplifying life to a single breath may seem overly reductive, especially in contrast to the overwhelming chaos … Read the rest
Landing Back to Earth
Walking the emotional gauntlet of the holiday season is challenging. The holidays are often described as loving and warm, but it can also feel cold and threatening.
Incidents of familial violence and self-harm spike during this time. Perhaps we try hard to please those we love. Maybe we get caught up … Read the rest
Reconnecting to our Basic Human Dignity
We’re all familiar with the trope of a good angel on one shoulder and a bad angel on the other. This seems grandly narcissistic, as though each of us is caught in a cosmic struggle between ultimate good and ultimate evil. Many of us live under the influence of
Gaining Mastery Over Our Suffering: the Courage to Face Our Pain
I would like to address rising up and facing our pain as a way of navigating a life of turmoil and challenge. This is not to over dramatize life’s difficulties or to define ourselves by pain. Rather, by facing what is truly happening, we … Read the rest
The Heartbreak Clash
Lord Gampopa, a seminal figure in Tibetan Buddhism, taught that we are the “working basis” of our liberation. In other words, who we are—our body, mind, spirit, work, life, and relationships—holds all the information we need for our freedom. We don’t have to look beyond ourselves. The key is to look beneath … Read the rest
