The True Master of the Universe

Volume 71. January 9, 2026 Well, well, well. Heading into the new year, who would have thought Marco Rubio would be the Viceroy of Venezuela and Donald Trump would be the Emperor of the Western Hemisphere? But here we are. Citizens of Greenland, Cuba, Columbia, Mexico and even Canada, are concerned, quaking in their boots,Continue reading “The True Master of the Universe”

Be Good For Goodness Sake

Volume 70. December 12, 2025 You better watch out. You better not cry. You better not pout. I’m telling you why. Santa Claus is coming to town. Santa Claus might be coming to town for some people, but not for the vast majority of the U.S. population. Federal Reserve data (2024) indicates that enormous financialContinue reading “Be Good For Goodness Sake”

Wake Up From The Nightmare

Volume 68. October 8, 2025 Halloween is just around the corner. ’Tis the season of goblins, ghouls and hell on earth. Cometh October, cometh the nightmare. Unfortunately, our bad dream started in September. Take a look at a few examples. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth convened a rare assembly of the military’s top brass to impartContinue reading “Wake Up From The Nightmare”

Call Out The National Guard?

Volume 67. September 1, 2025 Lo, the Buddha peered into the Gem of Suchness and saw … National Guard soldiers, toting firearms and billy clubs, looking for trouble, menacingly prowling the streets of Washington D.C. What is their job? Why are they here? No one really knows. There’s no rampant crime. There is no widespreadContinue reading “Call Out The National Guard?”

Everyday People and the True Dharma Eye

Volume 64. June 13, 2025 Sing it with me: “Ooh, sha-sha. We got to live together!” Sly and the Family Stone enjoyed a chart-topping single (“Everyday People”) in 1969 that proclaimed a musical vision of human equality. The song’s verses mocked the futility of people hating each other for being tall, short, rich, poor, fat,Continue reading “Everyday People and the True Dharma Eye”

Democratic Power Outage

Volume 59. January 18, 2025 American scholar Joseph Campbell once wrote, “Politics is the art of gaining power over men.” Elbowed out of office, Democrats are feeling pretty low these days. As Republicans gleefully assume control over the three branches of federal government (legislative, judicial, executive), and as Donald Trump gleefully resumes his three ringContinue reading “Democratic Power Outage”

Bro World Cheers Their Once and Future King

Volume 57. November 10, 2024 Trump supporters are in hog heaven. Kinder and gentler is out. Ruder and cruder is in. Women are out. Men are in. Like James Brown, the godfather of soul, once sang, “This is a man’s world.” Ever since the dawn of the Iron Age, ever since about 3500 BCE, everContinue reading “Bro World Cheers Their Once and Future King”

Happy Fourth of July Buddha-style

Volume 53. July 4, 2024 Happy birthday, America! It’s time to celebrate. Founding Father John Adams thought Independence Day should be celebrated “with Pomp and Parade, with Shows, Games, Sports, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other.” He didn’t mention music, but that hasn’t stopped songwriters. Even classic rockContinue reading “Happy Fourth of July Buddha-style”

A Poignant Moment

Volume 51. May 15, 2024 My friends, we have reached a poignant moment. This moment marks the end of the Buddhist Studies Certificate Program at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Waukesha. What started in India in 500 BC, what spread across Asia for millennia, what ended in Tibet in 1959, will continue after we are gone.Continue reading “A Poignant Moment”

A World in White Gets Underway

Volume 47. January 10, 2024 Rock ’n roll heralds of calendrical beginnings U2 proclaimed immortal words of annual genesis, singing, All is quiet on New Year’s Day. A world in white gets underway. The new calendar year offers us a pristine state of clarity. Quiet. White. Tranquil. Serene. Fresh. Unspoiled. New Year’s Day is aContinue reading “A World in White Gets Underway”