Sweep the dust, Push the dirt

I had some trepidation about Darren Littlejohn’s book “The 12 Step Buddhist”.  In a market that is dominated by “feel good”, “inspirational” books with wide puppy-dog eyes and flower gardens, this book stands out like flame-thrower at a hayride.  Needless to say this book provides a more realistic portrayal of addiction and Buddhist practice.  
Most recovery books that touch on Buddhism either [...]

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I’ve got another post up at the Elephant Journal on two of my favorite activities: pooping and sitting or sitting and pooping.   In the long run, there is little difference.

Do me a favor and pop over there and give it a read and leave a comment.  The more you talk, the more I can bump [...]

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From Jade Mountain – Practice Within the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives

Rely on the message of the teacher,
     not on her personality;
Rely on the meaning,
     not just on the words;
Rely on the real meaning,
     not on the provisional one;
Rely on your wisdom mind,
     not on your ordinary, judgmental mind.
Shakyamuni Buddha:
The Four Reliances
When, and where, would this [...]

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What a way to wake up in Rapid City!  A delightful article on some enterprising Nazis right in my town.
Kelly, 55, sells Nazi flags, Adolf Hitler figurines and replica canisters of Zyklon B, among hundreds of items, to customers around the country and world. Kelly said orders from South Dakota residents are rare.
Kelly said he, [...]

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Man.  Don’t mess with David Byrne….
Over at the New Heretics, the son of a pastor described this interaction at a Thiền Buddhist Temple…
I mentioned some of my Theravada experiences/training; which they kept on referring to it as Hinayana (lesser vehicle) and made it clear (through some mocking and jokes) that they held little respect for that school. [...]

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We had a record number of new library cards this past month (1602 to be exact) so I got to give-away an iBook to one of our new patrons.  Always fun to give something away and then get a picture taken to boot.
I don’t really have a Buddhist twist on this one other than it is [...]

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to encounter the absolute is not yet enlightenment.

I love this line from the Identity of Relative and Absolute.  This one line pretty much sums up one of my primary views of Buddhism – whether or not you have touched your Buddha-Nature or not; briefly viewed kensho - you are still a beginner.  A child in practice.  A mere [...]

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Adam over at Home Brew Dharma made the move to WordPress with the rest of us crazy Buddhist Bloggers (well, two of us anyway).  He brings up an interesting movement that he is involved in (not SGI).
Also, I have decided to join a global movement that is bringing much needed attention to cancers that affect [...]

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