It seems that my assertion from the article Philosophy as Practice raised some eyebrows. …without the ability to analyze and use critical thinking, even the compassion spoken of in Buddhism cannot be fully developed. Therefore the wisdom lineage, as in “method and wisdom”, pervades the method lineage. I was surprised by the doubt raised by this statement, as it seems to me to be quite clear. However, in order to practice what I advocate, that is, doing philosophy, since last Thursday when the doubt was surreptitiously... [Read the full story]
I would say that every living being wants happiness. But if this is the case why it is that we continue to experience problems? Read More →
For those of you who have not yet signed up for the email newsletter. This post is an example of what I will be sending to the email list. So if you are interested in getting this type of content you will need to sign up for the newsletter. For those that are signed up to the newsletter and also received this via email, you will need to unsubscribe from the old list…if you are not sure send me an email and I will check for you. The reason for the change is I’m looking into doing a PhD in philosophy, so I want... [Read the full story]
Meditate. Meditate more. Meditate even more. Meditate even more than that. Meditate when you don’t want to. Meditate when you do. Meditate when you have something to meditate on. Meditate when you don’t. Meditate every day. Keep meditating. Seriously though there is a lesson in there. Think like a meditator, be like a meditator. Which is by the way the title of a forth coming blog post I’m currently working on. Read More →
For those of you who have not yet signed up for the email newsletter. This post is an example of what I will be sending to the email list. So if you are interested in getting this type of content you will need to sign up for the newsletter. For those that are signed up to the newsletter and also received this via email, you will need to unsubscribe from the old list…if you are not sure send me an email and I will check for you. The reason for the change is I’m looking into doing a PhD in philosophy, so I want... [Read the full story]
I would say that every living being wants happiness. But if this is the case why it is that we continue to experience problems? Read More →
According to many, our mind plays a major role in the quality of our life and how we relate to both oneself and others. Understanding this, we can come to better understand ourselves and, thereby make extraordinary advances in what Aristotle called eudemonia, or the good life. Eudemonia is a sense of well-being, a deeply seated feeling of joy. Not the happy-happy-joy-joy type but, a grounded feeling of contented joy that is both stable and constant. One that is unshakable even in the face of modern life with all its problems and difficulties. You Are Your Own Friend All living beings want a happy life and, every living being wants to be free of any form of suffering. Everyone has this innate wish, the wish for greater happiness, and it is not a selfish wish. However we often employ erroneous methods in our endeavor to find happiness or eudemonia. Many people, believing that happiness can be found through physical stimuli or financial security, spend their entire lives chasing after money, power and fame only to be exhausted by their efforts. They may spend countless hours building businesses and careers only to find themselves struggling with feelings of loneliness or even guilt for being away from their families. Does this mean you cannot have a good job or career? Does this mean you cannot enjoy a wealth of resources? Good cars, nice restaurants or the latest pair of shoes? No, it certainly does not. But, if we think that happiness will be gained once we have this or that item, this way of thinking will surely end in tears! It is not money, fame or power that are the causes of problems, rather it is how we relate to them that is the real cause of our problems. We usually struggle to gain them and when we finely do achieve this or that we grasp onto them thinking…my precious…my precious. This shows that happiness or suffering is generated from within our own mind. Clearly everything is dependent on mind. And this is great news. Knowing that happiness can... [Read the full story]