All entries filed under this archive
Good Society Part II: Feeling the Goodness – HIGHLIGHT
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash The second part of a two-part series by Shastri Russell Rodgers. For part one, click here. In Part I of this two-part essay, we looked at the genetics behind the universal human impulse to create good society. The logic was this: everywhere ... continuePosted November 15, 2019 by alexvangils
The Great Within – The Transformative Power and Psychology of the Spiritual Path – HIGHLIGHT
Christine Heming reviews the new book by Han F. de Wit, PhD. Han de Wit’s story has a familiar ring – the pursuit of Western psychology in the 1970’s only to find it offered little to those who wanted to study and understand the mind. Fortunately for ... continuePosted October 31, 2019 by alexvangils
Buddha’s Teachings Regarding Cleanliness in the Home – HIGHLIGHT
Photo by Samantha Gades on Unsplash By “Jackie Writing Jackie” Mental health professionals often encourage their patients to keep their homes clean and tidy. Cluttered, dirty interiors can interfere with mental health and wellbeing and hamper the peaceful, mindful state that is encouraged by the Shambhala way of life. One of ... continuePosted October 24, 2019 by alexvangils
Human Drala – HIGHLIGHT
Photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash By Russell Rodgers Sometimes one encounters people or places that cut through one’s habitual chain of thoughts. The Tibetan word for that is “drala”, which means “above the enemy”. In this case the enemy is our cocoon of gossipy thoughts that keeps ... continuePosted October 17, 2019 by alexvangils
Meditation Practice to Help You Through Dental Treatment – HIGHLIGHT
By “Jackie Writing Jackie” Anxiety about dental treatment and fear of the dentist affects 16% of people. For many, it causes so much worry that they avoid going for a checkup, or getting work done when they really need to. In the long term, this can be bad for ... continuePosted October 2, 2019 by alexvangils
Cutting Through Spiritual Puritanism – HIGHLIGHT
Illustration by Alicia Brown written by Gabe Dayley In the West it is difficult for the Dharma to take root. The soil is not fertile. The good and evil, fire and brimstone logic of puritanism has dried the ground and permeated our cultural and political institutions.1 Western Buddhists often ... continuePosted September 23, 2019 by alexvangils
Favorite Books: An Invitation to Readers of the Times – HIGHLIGHT
If you haven’t fully embraced the digital age (like me) and enjoy holding a book in your hands, you probably have to keep scouting out more shelf space (me too). Then there is the dilemma of how to organize the increasing treasure trove. I’ll share my ... continuePosted September 10, 2019 by alexvangils
Book Review: In Love With the World – HIGHLIGHT
In Love With the World: A Monk’s Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche with Helen Tworkov Reviewed by Christine Heming If you do not recognize the truth of impermanence, you cannot attain genuine realization. You must allow the illusion of ego to die. ... continuePosted August 20, 2019 by alexvangils
Interconnected, Embracing Life in Our Global Society: a new book by the 17th Karmapa – HIGHLIGHT
A book review by Christine Heming Interconnected, Embracing Life in Our Global Society is a deep dive into the Buddhist teaching on interdependence. His Holiness The Karmapa speaks with a gentle tone, a sharp clarity, and at times, a poetic elegance. His aim is help us “think ... continuePosted July 23, 2019 by alexvangils
The Dharma Talk: Right Speech for Burma
INTRODUCTION: The Venerable Ashin Issariya is one of the few Burmese Buddhist monks speaking out against extremism and hate speech in his country. From his experience as a pro-democracy leader during the 2007 Saffron Revolution, Sayadaw views the current violence in Burma as an intentional obscuration ... continuePosted June 11, 2019 by alexvangils
Embodied Mark Making: The Big Brush Experience – HIGHLIGHT
Barbara Bash Two hundred people sit on chairs lining the sides of a large room. In the center of the space lengths of white paper stretch down the floor, buckets of ink with large bamboo handled brushes are placed near the cushioned seats, a round rock rests ... continuePosted May 20, 2019 by alexvangils
Obstacles as Opportunities for Creation – HIGHLIGHT
[From the Shambhala Times team: Ms. Younger’s new book, Be, Awake, Create, will be available in June. To read an excerpt of the book, you can click here.] The Beginning Writing the book, Be, Awake, Create, has been quite a creative adventure with many opportunities to live the material I was ... continuePosted April 22, 2019 by alexvangils
Book Review: Training in Tenderness – HIGHLIGHT
Training in Tenderness: Buddhist Teachings on Tsewa, The Radical Openness of Heart That Can Change the World By Dzigar Kongtrul Reviewed by Christine Heming “Just give me some tenderness beneath your honesty.” – Paul Simon Some weeks ago, I listened to the testimony of Mr. Michael Cohen before the US ... continuePosted March 31, 2019 by alexvangils
How Many Spiritual Teachers – HIGHLIGHT
How many teachers do you need to reach enlightenment? Don’t forget to count yourself! by Marcos Taquechel I often read spiritual and self-help books, and become inspired. I feel like I have a deep understanding while the book is in front of my eyes; I get momentarily enlightened. ... continuePosted September 11, 2016 by CGH
The Path of Translating – HIGHLIGHT
Translating in the Ear Whispering Lineage by Stéphane Bedard, Montreal, Quebec When I started to read one of the Sakyong’s recent advanced texts, parts of the text were whispered to me in French. This was unusual. I read the whole book over several months and kept hearing this ... continuePosted March 6, 2015 by