Evil

During a four-day Thanksgiving Weekend retreat at the Bhavana Society a dozen years ago, I was listening to the society’s founder and abbot, Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, give a dharma talk. A Sri Lankan monk from the age of 12, Bhante G came to the United States in 1968, when he was 40. He earned a bachelor’s, a…

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Acceptance

My own experience tells me that, with a few very rare exceptions, we are born with the intention to do good in the world…

you are enough.

Originally posted on Speaking of…:
Catching up on some sermon posting this week.  This was delivered 6/14/2015 Moment for All Ages http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kadbd3tCqc Sermon Turning on the TV the other day, my mood went from pleasant to grumpy to depressed in a five minute span. The show I’d turned on featured a family doing some amazing…

not giving god a name

Originally posted on dhamma footsteps:
The Buddha taught us that there is positive thinking and there is negative thinking. The most important thing is to stay above thinking.” [Phra Ajahn Jayasaro] (Thai text translation) POSTCARD #160: New Delhi: I feel sad that most children in the West don’t receive the same structured guidance or instruction,…

Confession of a Former Newsman

I worked in the newsrooms of Philadelphia and New York City tabloid newspapers from 1966 to 1976. Although U.S. tabloids were not as outrageous then as they are today, they did have their faults, including an emphasis on the sensational. It’s popular to despise the media now, to blame the media for much of what’s…

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From 1965 to Today

I came as close as a young white man could to understanding the black experience in the United States.

Noise

With all due respect for the wisdom of the monastics, I wonder why they seek such total silence for meditation.

Buddhist monk named Pacem in Terris winner

A monk and spiritual leader of Buddhists from Vietnam and atound the world — Thich Nhat Hanh — is this year’s recipient of the Pacem in Terris Source: Buddhist monk named Pacem in Terris winner

Spooky Stuff

It’s comforting and predictable to believe in spooky stuff after the death of a loved one, but that doesn’t mean the spooky stuff didn’t happen and didn’t mean what it seemed to mean.