I’m on a binge, knitting and listening to Lama Marut audios. He is just so funny, so humane, and so brutally straight-up no-bullshit Brooklyn buddhist. I am noticing how many good buddhist dharma teachers are in fact hilarious – timing and delivery and laser-sharp observations, like the best standup i’ve ever heard – and some …
Category: Zen & Dharma
Further to the path
So during a break at this weekend’s Duncan Lamapalooza, I dashed up to Geshe YongDong and announced – GesheLa, I finished my 3,000 mantras! He beamed and gave me a high-five. “Finished? Great! Keep going. Do 10,000.” he said, turning on his heel and rushing off. Grrrrrr.
3,000 mantras
Ah-kar ah-med du ti su, nag-po xi-xi mal mal…so, ha! Done. 3,000 healing mantras, counted out on my brown wooden mala. It would have gone faster if I muttered my way through them, but when i chant them i feel the vibration through the top of my skull. But Geshe YongDong directed, for chanting, “say …
Free Agent
I am about as “free” as I can be. No property, posessions or position; no parents, progeny or partner. I didn’t plan it this way, but apparently, such was the Plan. I don’t often feel sad about my state – and it is rare enough, at my age – though I have my moments of …
Compassion Part 2: what Darla taught me
I was struggling with the notion of compassion. How, I wondered, does “may I be free of suffering” lead to compassion? I didn’t understand, how aspiring to alleviate my own suffering, could relieve the suffering of others. Then one day, as I was sitting up by the Buddha on the hill, a lovely mutt with …