Only Two Things Matter in Life (Dharma Talk)

I explore the age-old question, "How Should I Spend My Time?" and discuss the two most important items on everyone's to-do list.

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Magic Mushrooms and the Buddha Dharma

You meet all kinds of people on the road. Some of them are clearly running from something; a past trauma or an action they regret. Others are clearly looking for something; a tribe of like-minded people or a safe place to call home. This results in a strange mix of people ending up in strange places and sharing their lives for any where from a few weeks to a few months. You part ways knowing that you'll never see each other again despite your endless promises to keep in touch. But you always remember the people you meet on the road, and your life is usually better for having met them. Case in point, I met a guy named "Fred" when I was farming in Indiana who'd lived an insanely cool life. He did corporate America for a while, and decided it wasn't for him. So, he high-tailed it to Vietnam and taught English for several years before deciding that he wanted to become a shaman. After that, he made his way to Brazil where he wandered fo

Living with Sadness

Today, I woke up feeling sad. All of my basic needs are met. I have a pantry full of food and a warm, safe place to sleep at night. Put simply, my life is going well by most objective standards. I have (almost) nothing to complain about. So, why am I sad? I don’t think there is a reason. I think there is a wellspring of emotion, and when we wake up our cup is filled with whatever happens to be in the well that day. Sometimes, I wake up angry and irritated. Other times, I wake up quiet and contented. But today I woke up sad. I’ve been sad a lot lately. And I’m not sure there’s much that can be done about it. I could explore the tide pools of sadness. I could tie a rock around my neck and and sink into its dark waters; looking for the source. But I’m scared I’d drown. I’m scared I’d fall in love with the dark anonymity of the sandy bottom, find peace in the fullness of my grief until I forsook the surface world and breathed watery death into my lungs. There’s comfort in sadness. And t

The Buddhist Teaching of Oneness

The teaching of Oneness in Mahayana Buddhism is one of the most important, and oft-misunderstood portions of the Dharma. If we understand it, then practices like compassion and loving-kindness naturally become part of our lives. However, if we misunderstand it, feelings of fatalism are the result. One of my favorite explanations of this teaching can be found in the Vimalakirti Sutra. In it, a wealthy Layman name Vimalakirti falls ill, and it soon becomes apparent that he's going to die. In his wisdom, Buddha sent Manjushri to Vimalkirti's home to see if anything could be done. When he arrived Manjushri asked Vimalakirti, "Why are you sick?" And the dying man responded by saying: This illness of mine is born of ignorance and feelings of attachment. Because all living beings are sick, therefore I am sick. If all living beings are relieved of sickness, then my sickness will be mended. Why? Because the bodhisattva for the sake of living beings e

The Same Old Zen

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