People in the United States are starting to become aware of racism, slowly, slowly, and violently. There has been racial violence on the North American continent since the moment Europeans arrived. They came as a monoculture with guns and swords, what could you expect? As European descendants tend to write the history learned in the…
Read MoreWhen I was young and insulted, I would sing, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me! That self-protective retort was used on those unfortunate occasions where somebody’s words had actually hurt me. The rhyme is a great tool that can help children differentiate between physical and emotional harm. It’s wonderful to…
Read MoreWhen I started blogging in 2012, I was so excited by my zen practice that I wanted to let everybody know how to access a sense of inner peace. I started blogging on tumblr, which, if your not familiar with it, it is a social media platform, that lets people interact anonymously, through avatars, sharing…
Read MoreYou can learn self-confidence through positive affirmations. You can intentionally tell yourself that you are smart, wise, attractive, and anything else that contradicts habitual fears, insecurities, and negative self-opinions. Thinking good things to counteract bad thoughts is a good strategy and a part of a healthy mindfulness practice. Although effective, sending a good thought after…
Read MoreTo control anger you have to pay attention to anger. It is a hard emotion to control because when it arises it takes over your mind, cutting off your reasoning ability and pushing you into angry action. Angry action is generally destructive action, so a big part of controlling anger is controlling what we do…
Read MoreYou can never trust a happy person who says, “choose to be happy”. You certainly can’t trust an unhappy person who says, “choose to be happy”. We all know that if we were asked to check a ballot to choose our next emotion, we would universally check the box next to happy over misery. It…
Read MoreBuddhist teachings begin with the Four Noble Truths: There is suffering There is a cause of suffering There is a cure for suffering There is a method to that cure Suffering here isn’t just any suffering. It is more like the general suffering we endure as a part of being human. It is like the…
Read MoreA friend of mine, who lives in a Brooklyn apartment, used to wake up in the middle of the night because of a noisy upstairs neighbor. When the neighbor moved out, he still woke up in the night. It turns out it was his thoughts that were waking him up. Even if it was the…
Read MoreBeings are countless; I vow to liberate us all. Sufferings are inexhaustible; I vow to cut through them all. Enlightened teachings are boundless; I vow to learn them all. The Awakened Way is unsurpassable; I vow to become it fully. These are the Four Boddhisatva Vows that are at the center of Zen Buddhism and many…
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