Why?

I’d like to say something about my reasons for maintaining this blog.

The Dharma has been good to me, in the sense that it has helped me calm my monkey mind, partially learn the difference between perception and reality, and been the instrument that has allowed me to satisfy my desire for spirituality, despite my lack of conventional faith in a god. (It has also shown me the difference between doubt and impossibility.)

Buddhists do not proselytize — another thing that attracted me. That being the case, there have to be places for people to look for information. The Web is loaded with gurus, Rinpoches, Senseis, Roshis, Yogis and other folks who are delighted to share Dharma, but going directly to those pages can be a bit of culture shock for folks who aren’t familiar with the jargon that often pervades them. (I mean that respectfully, but that’s what it is.)  The message boards and forums — where egos have been known to come home to roost — are more so, for the most part.

What I’m trying to do here is help simplify things for seekers. I provide links to sites that I believe I would have found useful back in the days of (slightly more) confusion. I provide links to articles about Buddhism and to what I consider Dharma-related issues such as human rights, peace, and politics as it relates to those sorts of things.  I occasionally write something original, and have also included a section on addiction and recovery, areas in which I have experience, personal and professional.  It may be accessed from the “Addiction” tab.

This is a site for people who are genuinely interested in Buddhism and the ideas that surround it — who are seeking a different way of looking at life, as I was.

My practice is based on the Four Noble Truths, skillfully or not. I have no interest in arguing about Dharma, Suttas, the relative merits of Buddhist sects, which hungry ghost needs most to be appeased, or whether all us heathen Buddhists are going to hell. Don’t even bother. It’s that simple. Folks who want to argue are in the wrong place, and will not be engaged. I respectfully suggest that such people speak to their teachers about their desire to control others.

That said, all honest inquiries will be answered or referred to the best of my limited ability.

Namasté

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