Category: Life of Carmen

Life of Carmen, Uncategorized, Upaya Zen Center, Zen & Dharma

Trainwreck in the zendo

I caused a minor trainwreck in the zendo yesterday during walking meditation. The vestments, the bows, the japanese lingo, the rhythms of gong and bell and clackers —all of this is new to me. I just follow along and when in doubt, gassho: bow. Bow to the plate, bow to the cushion, bow to the …

Life of Carmen, Politics & Activism, Uncategorized, Zen & Dharma

Riot of the Hungry Ghosts

Hungry ghosts live in the hell realm. Depicted in Hieronymous Bosch paintings and graphic Tibetan Buddhist texts, they have huge gaping mouths and swollen heads. pencil-thin necks and emaciated bodies with round distended bellies. Or they have tiny mouths the size of a needle’s eye and giant unfillable stomachs. They live in a torment of …

Aging & Dying, Life of Carmen, Uncategorized, Zen & Dharma

Freedom’s just another word

We all suffer from liberphobia, the fear of freedom. – Lama Sumati Marut Everyone says they want to be FREE. Oh really, I say. You want to be free. And what does freedom mean to you? Do you want to be free of possessions, or  possessiveness, or attachments – free of baggage, free of stuff? …