In turbulent times it’s easier to know what we’re against than what we’re for. The old union anthem “Which Side Are You On?” urges us to stand up against the “other side.” This is the opposite of Zen Master Bankei’s advice to “not side with yourself.” A colleague of...
Continued wars, mass shootings, and other ghastly events throughout history inspire reflection upon the First Grave Precept (I resolve not to kill, but to cherish all life). This may sound like the easiest of all precepts to follow, but it may be the most difficult,...
Stephen Batchelor, a prominent secular Buddhist, has reframed the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism as four tasks: 1) Embrace life as it is (both its joys and sorrows), 2) Let reactivity be, 3) See the ceasing of reactivity, and 4) Actualize a Path. Batchelor’s four tasks...
There’s an old Jataka tale about a small parrot trying to put out a forest fire. You’ve probably heard some version of it. The fire doesn’t start as an inferno. It begins as a barely visible line of orange, like someone dragging a hot wire across the horizon. The...
In Buddhist cosmology, the hungry ghosts—pretas—are beings with vast, empty bellies and narrow throats. They wander desolate landscapes tormented by unending craving. Some try to eat, but what enters their mouths turns to fire or ash. Their condition is not punishment...
