Category Archives: Buddhism

Vol. 25. March 7, 2022 Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh once wrote, “Meditation is to be aware of what’s going on — in our bodies, in our feelings, in our minds, and in our world.”  Right now, most people are painfully aware of what is going on in our world. Russian despotContinue reading “Peace for Ukraine”

Vol. 24. February 6, 2022 When the history of American Buddhism is written three hundred years from now, Thich Nhat Hahn will go down as one of the great Asian missionaries of Buddhism to the West.  His literary output and impact on American society is matched only by perhaps D.T. Suzuki and the 14th DalaiContinue reading “Reflection on Death”

Vol. 23. January 5, 2022 Open your heart/mind and listen to the teaching of emptiness.  Swinging from the rafters, hanging like a piñata, we finally found her after a week of searching and called the coroner. What was it that made her lose hope? Why did she kick away the chair? All gone now, whiteContinue reading “Contemplation on the New Year”

Vol. 22. December 12, 2021 The comedian Chris Farley put life into perspective. He mocked the ambitions of people who want to go out and change the world. As motivational speaker Matt Foley, Chris joked,  “You kids are probably saying to yourself, ‘Hey, I’m going to go out and get the world by the tail,Continue reading “Change the World”

Vol 21. November 10, 2021 This year, when we sit down to a sumptuous Thanksgiving dinner, our mouths salivating over stuffing and cranberries, let’s remember a quote from Jack Kerouac, “Unleash your knife and fork, and you’re no better than a bug on Buddha Mountain.” The reason humanity has instituted the practice of prayer beforeContinue reading “Thanksgiving on Buddha Mountain”

Vol. 20. October 5, 2021 “Suddenly, Last Summer” is a 1959 Southern Gothic mystery film based on a play by Tennessee Williams. The plot centers on a young woman (Elizabeth Taylor) who has witnessed the traumatic death of her cousin. The dead man’s wealthy mother strenuously tries to suppress the truth about her son’s violent demise atContinue reading “Suddenly (or Gradually?) Last Summer”

Vol. 19. September 1, 2021 The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan came faster than anyone expected. Elapsed time from the fall of the first provincial capital to the cave-in of Kabul was 9 days flat. Why did Afghanistan collapse so quickly, like a house of cards? Endemic corruption, a long history of dependence on foreign assistanceContinue reading “Freedom for Afghanistan?”

Vol. 18. Bonus Issue. August 1, 2021 Milwaukee hasn’t felt this good in 50 years. After waiting five long decades, Milwaukee Bucks fans everywhere tasted the sweetness of winning an NBA championship. The ebullience was palpable. Tens of thousands of cheering fans packed the Deer District on the evening of July 20, then lined theContinue reading “We Did It Baby!”

Vol. 18. August 1, 2021 All summer long, Buddhist wisdom has been oozing off the courts, out the gyms and from the pools of our athletes. It’s time to shine the Buddhist spotlight on these pearls of wisdom and incorporate them into our own championship endeavors. The basic message gets inflected, but the wisdom says theContinue reading “Wisdom from the Wide World of Sports”

Vol. 17. July 5, 2021 Shortly after the Declaration of Independence was signed, sealed and delivered to King George of England, Patrick Henry reflected on the consequences. The Founding Father said, “The distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers and New Englanders are no more. I am not a Virginian, but an American!” Before July 4,Continue reading “Duck Boat to Identity”