So do I. Maybe it’s because of the toxic family script I inhaled as a child: “Backmans never forgive.” Or maybe, being hypersensitive in general, I’m hypersensitive to “the heartache, and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to.” In other words, I get hurt and it sticks. I do know that forgiveness is required […]
Category Archives: Zen
Do You Have Trouble Forgiving?
Also posted in Buddha, Forgiveness
Tagged Bible, Buddhist, Christian, forgiveness, hurt, pain, Tricycle
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Walking in the Spirit, Not the Letter
The teaching is merely a vehicle to describe the truth. Don’t mistake it for the truth itself. A finger pointing at the moon is not the moon. –Thich Nhat Hanh I am wild about the works of James Joyce. I’ve read Ulysses four times. I got halfway through Finnegans Wake. If that doesn’t qualify […]
Also posted in Buddha, God, On Writing
Tagged Buddhism, Dublin, Ireland, James Joyce, sacred text, spirituality, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ulysses
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We’re the Product of Many Forces, but We Are Not Helpless
For the months of March and April, I’d been in an odd place spiritually—not traumatic, just unsettling. Sorting through it took some serious work: a number of journal entries, an intense session with my spiritual director, an intriguing metaphor or two, a great deal of turning over the situation in my head. Also for the […]
Also posted in Buddha, Contemplation
Tagged agency, Buddhism, causes and conditions, choice, contemplation, human, spiritual direction
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Silent Prayer Made Easy (Sort Of)
Quick: what does contemplation mean? (No fair peeking at this post.) If you’re drawing a blank, don’t worry. It took me forever to understand it even a little—and I’m trying to live it. Contemplation doesn’t come up in everyday conversation. But as the focus of this blog, it’s worth trying to describe. Today, let’s look […]
Also posted in Contemplation, Definitions, Prayer
Tagged centering prayer, contemplation, contemplative, distractions, God, silent prayer, thoughts
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