peace

tomorrow is the international day of peace. to that aim, here’s a video of an interview between ram dass and thich nhat hanh – i’ve actually showed it before but i just have to present it again, it’s so important. want some more peace talk? on this blog, there are 128 posts with the word… Continue reading peace

god is community

i like to think about god when i wake up in the middle of the night. i had just finished deepak chopra’s new book on mohammed (review coming up soon). the many stories about the tribes, the complicated family relationships, the exchange with jews and christians, the interdependency with slaves – maybe that’s what made… Continue reading god is community

august 2010 buddhist carnival: right action

every month i delve into the buddhasphere to come up with interesting tidbits in buddhist writing. this time around i was interested in the concept of right action. the poem we start out with today is the famous shin jin mei poem the perfect way knows no difficulties except that it refuses to make preferences;… Continue reading august 2010 buddhist carnival: right action

alcoholism and everyday addictions

the 12 steps of alcoholics anonymous are sometimes summarized in these seven words: i can’t god can i better let god these pithy words come from the first three steps: 1. we admitted we were powerless over alcohol, and that our lives had become unmanageable 2. we came to believe that a power greater than… Continue reading alcoholism and everyday addictions

july buddhist carnival: the humble edition

in the last few weeks, i have had many an occasion to think about humility. here, then, is a buddhist carnival dedicated entirely to humility. this time, i will start with a poem of my own: ha’aha’a: humility. beyond this and that, above servitude, below arrogance, not higher not lower – just that: here i… Continue reading july buddhist carnival: the humble edition

monthly buddhist carnival – the weird and cranky edition

do not act from ego. it is a sticky little mouse trap that begins with a wheel running us in circles. get off. (from full on arrival) today is a weird day for me, completely, it seems, driven by ego.  today is june 15, time for a buddhist carnival, like every 15th of the month. … Continue reading monthly buddhist carnival – the weird and cranky edition

may 2010 buddhist carnival

it’s a day late but here it is: my monthly buddhist carnival, serving up interesting little tidbits from the buddhist blogosphere. we always start with a poem. how bitter, how blue is the anger! at the bottom of the light in april’s atmospheric strata, spitting, gnashing, pacing back and forth, i am asura incarnate this… Continue reading may 2010 buddhist carnival

prayer to be simple

when i was in germany, i picked up a slim little book of poetry, die gebete der demut (prayers of humility) by french poet francis jammes.  he lived from 1868 to 1938.  the poetry foundation says about him that he was … best known for his poetry of the natural world, in which he praised… Continue reading prayer to be simple

buddhist carnival – april 2010

it’s been two years now, i think, that i’ve been starting the buddhist carnival with a poem. this one i found when i was rooting around the buddhasphere in connection with the post on mice, death and neuroticism. when i first found the poem, i didn’t really want to post it. it starts like this… Continue reading buddhist carnival – april 2010