Envy, Kurt Cobain and Thich Nhat Hanh
As social animals, we humans invest a lot in trying to guess what other humans are thinking. It’s a survival skill. We depend on each other for so much that we absolutely have to be able to figure out what’s going on in each other’s heads. When we see another person do a thing, we […]
Fear and Loathing in Nirvana
If Jesus returned today he wouldn’t burst through the clouds on four flaming horses wielding a mighty sword to smite the wicked and whisk the righteous away to Paradise Everlasting. No. He’d have a booth at the Conscious Life Expo at the Hilton near LAX airport, between a guy who promises to recharge your chakras […]
Deadpool is the Donald Trump of Superhero Movies
I saw the movie Deadpool yesterday and I hated it. Throughout the film I felt alternately annoyed, bored and sad. I think I might have cracked a smile two or three times at some of the dialogue, but otherwise it was just relentlessly depressing. I disliked every single character. I didn’t care what happened to […]
Romance, Monasticism and Thich Naht Hanh
So I got an email this morning from Lion’s Roar magazine. Part of the subject line was “Thich Nhat Hanh on ‘Growing Together’.” I clicked on that title in the email and it took me to the article itself. It’s an introduction Mr. Hanh wrote for a book titled Love’s Garden: A Mindful Guide to […]
Retreats Are Important
One of the earliest Buddhist practices was what we now call in English a “retreat” or, if you’re from the San Francisco Zen Center or one of its offshoots, a “practice period.” In Japanese it’s called ango, which means “peaceful residing.” This is where you set aside a certain period of your life to devote […]
