Tag Archives: Dharma

Letting Go and the Symmetry of Canoes

By Paul | Published: June 14, 2009
Tualatin River, September 22, 1999 On Friday I sold my canoe. The last time we had it in the water was the summer of, maybe, 2005. Since then it’s been in the backyard, covered with a decaying plastic tarp. It needed some minor repairs to make it usable and a lot of work to bring [...]
Posted in Buddhism, Canoeing, Dhamma, Dharma, Freedom | Also tagged , | 2 Comments

What Happiness Isn’t and the Source of Wisdom

By Paul | Published: May 31, 2009
The Buddha, I’m told, gave some 84,000 talks during his 45 years of teaching. Also, I’m told, he had an uncanny ability to tailor his words to fit the minds and experiences of his listeners. One of the Buddha’s disciples, Ajahn Amaro, the co-abbot of Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery, also seems to have this ability. This [...]
Posted in Buddhism, Delusion, wisdom | Also tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

What is Happiness?

By Paul | Published: May 25, 2009
Six bhikkhus in ochre robes sat along the wall to Ajahn Liem’s left (see previous post). Below the altar and to his right sat his translator, Ajahn Siripanyo, abbot of Wat Dtao Dam. To the right of the altar sat two anagarikas. The two were conspicuous in their youthfulness, in their stark white robes, and [...]
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The 32-Parts Project

By Paul | Published: December 19, 2008
The phrase “contemplating his navel” is a common euphemism for meditation. It evokes an image of an overweight, bare-chested man sitting cross legged, head drooped in a meditative stupor. Someone who’s lost in thought must be wasting time. Another phrase is “navel-gazing.” Answers.com defines navel-gazing as “excessive introspection, self-absorption, or concentration on a single issue.” [...]
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