Every other evening in Sarnath, the teachers, facilitators, co-ordinators met together over a meal to discuss a feature of the dharma. One evening we looked into the important refrain that appears four times in the Satipatthana Sutta (Discourse on the Appllications of Mindfulness – one of the most revered statements of the Budha on mindfulness and insight. …
Mindfulness to the extant necessary Read More »
I receive regular requests to write a poem, review a book, write a few lines for the jacket of a book or write a few lines on a theme. I am happy to offer when possible. I received this e-mail inviting me to contribute around 100 words for a book that is due to be published. Incidentally, you might consider writing in response to the two questions that the editor asked — just so that you see what comes up from within yourself. …
Who am I? Why am I here? Read More »
The great passion of life manifests itself in movement. We express ourselves in a silent and intimate way with the nature through walking, not with a specific destination in mind, rather, the sacred engagement in the act itself. We formed a long single line with 120 of us participating collectively in a step-by-step activity beneath the immense umbrella of the sky above and the rolling, winding pathways, as we guided ourselves among the hills of the Pyrenees earlier this month. …
The French Yatra – a sacred engagement Read More »
I had a telephone call from a friend, Alan, who spent around 33 years in prison as a guest of Her Majesty’s’ Government for allegedly killing his gay partner in a flat in Victoria, London in 1973. He might have got an early release, perhaps even after 10 years, but he regularly harassed the authorities on various issues making himself somewhat unpopular with the prison authorities and the Home Office. A year or so ago, the Home Office gave him parole and he now lives in a small flat in south London. …
It seems to me that all institutional explanations, no mater how well reasoned out and no matter how many subscribe to the view, have their shadows. Heavy shadows. Darwinism is no exception even as scientists claim an ongoing pursuit of truth. It would be healthy to take seriously the wise counsel of the Buddha who said that “one preserves truth by stating ‘this is my view.’” (Middle Length Discourses).
Scientists, economists, politicians, business community and citizens, are left with Charles Darwin’s shadow, namely a belief in competition, progress, survival, priority of self interest, and the Western mind as the pinnacle of evolution. Our schoolchildren are brainwashed into these views.
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God is Dead. Darwinism is God Read More »
