Buddha | Buddhist | Buddhism

The art of living well and the art of dying well are one. ~Epicurus Post written by Leo Babauta . I dont have health insurance, so I have a big investment in staying healthy. And so I did a little research today I found the top causes of death, then created a spreadsheet for the controllable risk factors for each . Some things cant be controlled (your age, family history of diseases, gender). But others can. And those things arent a huge surprise you already know not to smoke, drink too much, or eat crappily. Its interesting, though, how all of the major diseases are caused by the same things: smoking, diet, exercise, alcohol and stress. Below Ill list the top habits you can change, and a simple method for changing them. The 8 Habits of Healthy Living 1. Stop smoking . This is by far the most important habit, as it affects almost every single one of the leading causes of death. Its also the hardest of these habits to change. Its not at all impossible I quit six years ago next month ...

Dangerous Harvests Writings about zen Buddhism, yoga, social justice and politics, the arts, and life in general. Monday, October 31, 2011 Form and Rebirth There are a few good posts up that I want to highlight for you all. First off, over at the blog of our sangha's head teacher is a post about form and Zen practice. We have been doing a lot of reflecting as a community over the past few years about form, particularly what ritual looks like within a lay practice context. I have written about all of this before, but wanted to share the following words of our teacher: Precision can easily be usurped by the manas or our self-centered consciousness that wants to be the best, be more evolved, to be better than other practitioners. When precision becomes a project it has been taken over by ego-building consciousness. Perfectionism is the devil in disguise. Outwardly, because of our highly choreographed form, a newcomer can interpret zens goa...

The art of living well and the art of dying well are one. ~Epicurus Post written by Leo Babauta . I dont have health insurance, so I have a big investment in staying healthy. And so I did a little research today I found the top causes of death, then created a spreadsheet for the controllable risk factors for each . Some things cant be controlled (your age, family history of diseases, gender). But others can. And those things arent a huge surprise you already know not to smoke, drink too much, or eat crappily. Its interesting, though, how all of the major diseases are caused by the same things: smoking, diet, exercise, alcohol and stress. Below Ill list the top habits you can change, and a simple method for changing them. The 8 Habits of Healthy Living 1. Stop smoking . This is by far the most important habit, as it affects almost every single one of the leading causes of death. Its also the hardest of these habits to change. Its not at all impossible I quit six years ago next month ...

"To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle." ~His Holiness The Dalai Lama Technorati Tags: Buddha Buddhist Buddhism Meditation Dharma

With palms together, Good Morning Everyone, Goodness, it is Halloween already. I cannot believe how quickly time seems to be passing. It seems as we age this is what happens. I remember as a child I could not wait for X and it seemed as though time was like a pole I had to climb and as I put one hand in front of another, it stretched on up just out of reach. Today, for me, that pole seems greased and slippery and I am sliding down far too quickly. I am confessing here that I do not want to get to the bottom of that pole. Why? It is not that I fear the end of the pole. The pole never really ends. Its more that I want to slow the fall and live as fully as possible along every inch of the way. When time slips by it means I have not been awake to the experience of each moment. That is the problem with reverie, isnt it? When holding on to the past or seeking the future we fail the moment. Moments are far too precious to not experience. So, today, I vow to wake up to each and every moment. B...

~I bow to the Buddha within you~

"As people alive today, we must consider future generations: a clean environment is a human right like any other. It is therefore part of our responsibility toward others to ensure that the world we pass on is as healthy, if not healthier, than we found it." ~His Holiness The Dalai Lama Technorati Tags: Buddha Buddhist Buddhism Meditation Dharma

With palms together, Good Morning Everyone, Our dogs are playing with their Big Dog Bones and enjoying the cold morning air here in the desert. We have not yet turned on the heat in the house. It seems, like the dogs, we both enjoy the chill. Yesterday we hung out in the plaza with the Day of the Dead memorials. We were going to set up an altar but at the last minute changed our minds. We will set up an altar next year with Jizo Bodhisattva leading the way. Jizo is a wonderful bodhisattva. He represents that aspect of us which protects and nurtures expectant mothers, children who died as a result of miscarriage, abandonment and abuse, as well as travelers and firemen. He is the bodhisattva who vows never to enter nirvana until all hell-beings are awakened and set free. I think it is important to recognize that the Hell Realms and the Hungry Ghosts are just us in this place at this moment if we are grasping for, and attaching to, any ideas of gain, self, and awakening. To free ourselves...

"Through violence, you may 'solve' one problem, but you sow the seeds for another." ~His Holiness The Dalai Lama Technorati Tags: Buddha Buddhist Buddhism Meditation Dharma

Dangerous Harvests Writings about zen Buddhism, yoga, social justice and politics, the arts, and life in general. Saturday, October 29, 2011 Hauntings I've sometimes wondered if a pregnant ghost has come to haunt my body, it's bony shoulders poking at mine, as it's fat stomach presses hard against my own. Every autumn, as the sun's rays slowly fade away earlier and earlier ! by the d ay, that acute haunting returns. An old friend - or enemy - depending upon my mindset in the moment, sometimes I call it "loneliness," but that's just an easy label, one that serves a purpose, but really doesn't hit the mark fully. The well known Buddhist author and teacher Pema Chodron writes: "Usually we regard loneliness as an enemy. Heartache is not something we choose to invite in. It's restless and pregnant and hot with the desire to escape and find something or someone to keep us company." I was walking around t...