Category Archives: Buddhism

Volume 38. April 24, 2023 Like a wolf at the door, tax season bit us. No one was happy, not even the accountants. Most tax-filers ground their teeth, stifled resentments and ponied up the dough. Great minds throughout history put in their two cents worth. Benjamin Franklin was resigned: “In this world nothing is certainContinue reading “Billionaires in Nirvana”

Vol. 37. March 18, 2023 March Madness. St Patrick’s Day. Daylight Savings Time. Robins Returning. The Vernal Equinox. There’s no denying it. Spring has sprung. It’s a compelling time for poets. Alfred, Lord Tennyson warns us from Locksley Hall, “In the Spring, a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of love.” Jimi Hendrix sings exuberantly:Continue reading “Let the Good Times Roll!”

Vol. 36. February 18, 2023 In the Book of Genesis, God cursed the Snake saying, “On your belly you shall crawl all the days of your life.” To the Woman he said, “In pain you shall bring forth children.” To the Man he said, “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat your bread.Continue reading “Back to the Garden”

Volume 35. January 22, 2023 After the hoopla of Times Square, after the ball drop, champagne, and fireworks, there is the silence. The clean slate. The New Year. Seminal Irish rock band U2 sing about this season in their aptly named song “New Year’s Day.” All is quiet on New Year’s Day. A world inContinue reading “All is Quiet on New Year’s Day”

Volume 34. December 20, 2022 In those immortal words of Buddhist wisdom sung by Christmas crooner Andy Williams: “It’s the holiday season (the holiday season). So whoop-de-do and dickory dock And don’t forget to hang up your sock ‘Cause just exactly at twelve o’clock, He’ll be coming down the chimney, down.(He’ll be coming down the chimney,Continue reading “Have Yourself An Ear Worm Christmas”

Volume 33. November 22, 2022 Thanksgiving is upon us. At this time of year when the leaves have fallen from the trees, and before we tuck in for a long winter’s nap, our minds turn to the simple blessings of life. Good food, secure homes, being happy in our ways. Gratitude is a trait amongContinue reading “Thanksgiving Buddha-style”

Volume 32. October 17, 2022 Han Shan (“Cold Mountain”) was a Chinese Buddhist figure associated with a collection of poems from the Tang Dynasty.  When he lived, who he was, and whether he existed is a mystery. Apparently, he lived alone in an empty cave on Cold Mountain, following the Way, harmonizing with the eternalContinue reading “Turning to Cold Mountain”

Volume 31. September 4, 2022 Monumental complainer Falstaff in Shakespeare’s Henry IV bellowed, “I were better to be eaten to death with a rust than to be scoured to nothing with perpetual motion!”  In our fast-paced society, sometimes we all need a rest.   Meditation provides serenity, peace, calm and tranquility. But even during peacefulContinue reading “Don’t Worry About A Thing”

Volume 30. August 2, 2022 The Lotus Sutra is one of the world’s great religious scriptures. Its influence on the history of Buddhism, like an ancient river, has been wide and deep. The Lotus Sutra proclaims the transcendental nature of the Buddha (the Buddha is not only man, but a god) and the doctrine ofContinue reading “Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra”

American poet Emily Dickinson reveled in the bliss of summer when she wrote,  Inebriate of air am I,  And debauchee of dew Reeling through endless summer days From inns of molten blue.  Drunk on the “Taste of a Liquor Never Brewed,” Miss Dickinson teaches us Buddhist wisdom. Enjoy the moment. Set aside conceptual thinking. Breathe.Continue reading “Song of Summer”