Category Archives: Uncategorized

I heard a story that once somebody tried to get Sister Theresa to join their protest against war or some particular violence going on in the world. To their surprise, she declined. Certainly the sister did not support war, they opined, so … Continue reading →

I find my mind gathering much of late around the questions of how I walk this path.  I find great value in intellectual investigation – study of scripture, the query of commentary, discussion with noble friends and exchange of ideas … Continue reading →

Reading Bhikkhu Bodhi’s article What Does It Mean To Be Enlightened, it occurred to me that the terms awakened, liberated, perfected and nibanna do not all point to the same thing.  There is a difference which can be explained by … Continue reading →

Awakening is the process of becoming awakened. An awakening experience, without an adjective, is a step on a long path – a moment noticed in such a way that it moves me forward one step.  To be awakened? I can’t … Continue reading →

Life is art that draws itself. I have no greater purpose.

A presentation this evening used Stephen Batchelor’s translation of the four noble truths and he translates sammādiṭṭhi as appropriate seeing. It seems that Stephen has a problem with right view as it intimates (by implication in the definition of the words … Continue reading →

If I knew it was to be my last meal, why would I eat it?

I was looking up anatta today in a Pali dictionary, wanting to see the root word, which I supposed would be something like atta or a derivative of the Sanskrit word ātman. Turns out, the Pali word is attan, which … Continue reading →

Sometimes, people speaking of studying or encountering spiritual teachings say that something rang true to them, as if there is some deep underlying wisdom in their being that they are trying to uncover and that when they encounter teachings that … Continue reading →

I have returned recently from a long vacation enabled by a lack responsible employment and the subject has arisen of finding a gainful undertaking. A friend asked what I want to do and it raised in me the burning question, … Continue reading →