The Joy of Life

The way we’ve chosen to organize society –basing social relations around the needs of the market– does not easily translate into a life well-lived.  Remember that the professional sphere, the economic system, the legal system, and our systems of values (including prejudices and negative judgements), are all socially constructed– we built them up, through competition […]

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.” –Gandhi

It takes a very strong heart, strong mind, and strong spirit to truly forgive.  In a society that sees retribution as ‘justice’, it becomes easy to misunderstand payback as being courageous.  Forgiveness, however, is what takes the utmost strength –to not only be able to show compassion and forgiveness for those who have harmed you, […]

Remember Your Roots: Yosemite HD and the Pale Blue Dot

In an increasingly marketized, built, and technological world, it is easy to think of ‘nature’ as being something ‘out there’; something we build society away from, constructing large structures and technologies that will shelter us from natural elements that ‘threaten’ comfortable human lives.  In fact, we can’t talk about environmental change that is not socio-environmental […]

Impermanence: Every Door is Open for Change

If you suffer, it is not because things are impermanent. It is because you believe things are permanent. When a flower dies, you don’t suffer much, because you understand that flowers are impermanent. But you cannot accept the impermanence of your beloved one, and you suffer deeply when she passes away. If you look deeply […]

Love is Simple. (the ‘Sharing Economy’)

“When we start substituting sharing for buying, fascinating changes –disruptions, opportunities, and maybe even climate benefits– can follow.” –Scott Rosenberg As is fairly obvious, the capitalist economy is a system of growth.  The circuit of capital accumulation has to grow to keep turning.  When the system can no longer grow in one area, it has […]

The Noble Truths

Buddhism offers a simple and straightforward way of looking at the world and what it means to live a moral and humble life.  It is not based on any sort of almighty God, as Buddha never claimed to be a God or a prophet of any kind.  Rather, Buddhist teachings help us to understand our […]

Conserving Your Inner Nature

Buddhism is not selective; it is not a typical religion.  It’s not about converting or not converting to Buddhism, but rather what can you take and learn from Buddhist thought? How can your life be improved by any aspect of Buddhist philosophy or practice? If you benefit in any way from conducting yourself in line […]