Concept
“A concept is a brick. It can be used to build a courthouse of reason. Or it can be thrown through the window.” —Gilles Deleuze
Philosophical
Vices Are Not Crimes
Vices Are Not Crimes A Vindication Of Moral Liberty by Lysander Spooner, 1875 I. Vices are those acts by which a man harms himself or his property. Crimes are those acts by which one man harms the person or property of another. Vices are simply the errors which a man makes in his search after …
The Buddha and His Dhamma
The Buddha and His Dhamma, a treatise on Lord Buddha’s life and Buddhism, was the last work of Indian statesman and scholar B. R. Ambedkar. The book is treated as a holy text by Indian Buddhists. It was first published in 1957 after Ambedkar’s death. It was again Published in 1979 by the Education Department …
Anathapindikovada Sutta: Advice to A Dying Man
Here I have included two versions. Anathapindikovada Sutta: Advice to A Dying Man (excerpt) translated from the Pali by Andrew Olendzki © 2006 Translator’s note: This systematic exploration of the phenomenal field of human experience is a powerful exercise in non-attachment. No need to wait until lying on your death bed to undertake it. Put …
Recognizing Reality
“Breathing in and out, I am aware of the fact that I am of the nature to die; I cannot escape dying. I am of the nature to grow old; I cannot escape old age. I am of the nature to get sick. Because I have a body, I cannot avoid sickness. Everything I cherish, …
See Yourself in All Beings
Strengthened by the love of bodhisattvas, I am able to see myself in all the beings who suffer. I am one with those who were born disabled or who have become disabled because of war, accident or illness. I am one with those who are caught in a situation of war or oppression. I am …
Drop by Drop
Think not lightly of good, saying, “It will not come to me.” Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise, gathering it little by little, fill themselves with good. ~Buddha~
This Silly Life
Today I had a good reminder that life is just plain silly. So, I decide to drive over to Hy-Vee and pick up a couple of egg rolls for lunch. I’m driving back to work, and very quickly am gaining on the vehicle ahead of me, clearly going very slow. I notice the traffic light …
Knowledge into Practice
A TIBETAN STORY illustrates the lack of connection between intellectual knowledge and ingrained habit, and the difficulty we have putting the fruits of our meditation into practice: A monk once asked one of his brother monks, “What are you up to these days?” and the friend replied, “I’ve been doing a lot of meditation on …