karma – Integrating Presence

The Noble Truth Of Dukkha: Buddhism And Beyond With Randi Green (Part 2)

“Now this, monks, is the Noble Truth of dukkha: Birth is dukkha, aging is dukkha, death is dukkha; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, & despair are dukkha; association with the unbeloved is dukkha; separation from the loved is dukkha; not getting what is wanted is dukkha. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are dukkha.” — SN 56.11 In part one Randi and I talked aboutContinue reading “The Noble Truth Of Dukkha: Buddhism And Beyond With Randi Green (Part 2)”

Dharma Questions: Miscellany — Part 7

The Heart 1 of Prajna 3 Paramita 4 Sutra 2 Bodhisattva 5 Avalokiteshvara 6, while deeply immersed 7 in prajna paramita, clearly perceived the empty nature 8 of the five skandhas 9, and transcended all suffering. Shariputra 10! Form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. So it is with feeling, conception, volition, and consciousness. Shariputra! All dharmas 11 are empty in character; neitherContinue reading “Dharma Questions: Miscellany — Part 7”

Studying And Practicing With “The Iddhipāda-Vibhaṅga Sutta — An Analysis Of The Bases Of Power”: “Psychic Powers,” Practice Combinations And Miscellany (6 of 7)

This sixth in a seven part series on Studying And Practicing With “The Iddhipāda-Vibhaṅga Sutta — An Analysis Of The Bases Of Power” addresses “Psychic Powers” as well as some practice ideas on how to combine various topics mentioned within the sutta. There’s also some miscellany and various resources to go deeper

Neil Elliot’s ‘Higher Road’

Author D. Neil Elliot and I recorded this conversation on June 7th. From Neil’s website: To any outsider, D. Neil Elliott was highly educated, owned a profitable consulting firm, and had a successful career and an amazing wife and family. But things were not all they seemed to be … Neil was facing a lotContinue reading “Neil Elliot’s ‘Higher Road’”

Dharmic Strategies For Empaths

This niche topic for empaths, or energetically sensitive beings, encapsulates years of note taking from experience, study and practice, provides nine categories of approach:

1) Gratitude for opportunities
2) Mindfulness (– especially of contact and vēdanā)
3) Hedonic Tone and the Three Characteristics of Existence
4) Self and identification
5) Equanimity and compassion
6) The Four Right Efforts and Five Hinderances
7) Energy
8) Non-attachment
9) Miscellaneous strategies

Materiality And Mentality | (7/27/2021 — “Ask Us Anything – LIVE” With Denny K Miu And Guest Beth Upton)

For this month’s regular open-audience, open-discussion “Ask Us Anything LIVE” — continuing discussions about meditation and related topics — Denny and I chat with meditation teacher Beth Upton most significantly about the Dependent Origination link Nāmarūpa, or Materiality and Mentality, which, according to Wikipedia, is “used in Buddhism to refer to the constituents of aContinue reading “Materiality And Mentality | (7/27/2021 — “Ask Us Anything – LIVE” With Denny K Miu And Guest Beth Upton)”

Dharma Questions: Miscellany — Part 5

This irregular “Dharma Questions” series deals with “dharma” meaning both the truth of the nature of reality and some Buddhist teachings. Amongst other things these questions can be:
• thought experiments
• borderline musings not meant to be answered
• from laziness of not contemplating or researching them yet

There’s 16 questions. Here’s two:

What is the root condition of annica — impermanence, inconstancy?

What are any and all similarities and differences between “Para Brahman” and “Nirvana”?

Dharma Questions: Miscellany — Part 4

There’s 18 questions. Here’s two:

Why is truth not a perfection/Pāramitā in Mahayana?

Can (the whole cycle of the) 12 links of Dependent Origination go backwards due to retrocausality?

Dharma Questions: Miscellany — Part 2

There’s more or less 17 questions. Here’s two:

Why do the Ānāpānasati instructions omit details on how to bring mindfulness to the fore and calm bodily formations?

What is the root condition (and causes) for (each of the) unwholesome roots of greed, ill-will and delusion (lobha, dosa, moha)?

Karma Knows | (9/29/2020 — “Ask Us Anything” With Denny K Miu)

This month’s, open-audience, open-discussion “Ask Us Anything” — discussions about meditation and related topics — with co-host Denny K Miu primarily address the term “Hīnayāna” and misunderstandings about karma. My original questions for the talk (followed by Denny’s response): Karma seems to be the People’s Magazine (perhaps an outdated reference) of dharma. Karma seems both fundamentalContinue reading “Karma Knows | (9/29/2020 — “Ask Us Anything” With Denny K Miu)”