Life
Tibetan Buddhist Anyen Rinpoche to Visit Rhode Island
Tibetan Buddhist Anyen Rinpoche to Visit Rhode Island at the Westminster Unitarian Church in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, will host the Tibetan Buddhist Tulku, Anyen Rinpoche, on Friday, April 4th, and Saturday, April 5th....
Meditation Retreat at Portsmouth Abbey
Last week, I participated in a solo, two-day meditation retreat at Portsmouth Abbey in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, just north of Newport. I was grateful for the opportunity to pray, meditate, sit, and chant with the monks at Portsmouth Abbey.
Meditation Retreat at Portsmouth Abbey - The Chapel
Life Lessons Learned from Akeelah and The Bee
Listening as An Art and Skill for Improving Relationships
There was a time when I used to be the guy who talked more than he listened; that may still be true, but the difference is that I listen today. I do not just hear your words when you speak; I actually listen to you. The difference may seem subtle on the surface; my experience demonstrates that the results are fairly profound. People enjoy being acknowledged and recognized; who doesn’t want the person they are communicating with to understand what they are saying?
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Is Life A Series of Important Events or Processes?
I was reflecting the other morning on how we tend to think of life as a series of important events that mold and shape our world. As I sat with this thought for a while, it occurred to me that events are rarely events. They tend to be a process that has culminated with a defining experience; the “event” was just a larger experience in a longer, more defined process.
What Is An Important Event?
Let’s begin this exploration by looking at major life events like weddings, births, deaths, divorces, graduations, retirements, and birthdays. We can then see if we can discover where the process began and if it really was an actual event....Can Success and Sex Sell Mindfulness?
I found this article so entertaining and well-written: Can Success and Sex Sell Mindfulness? I hope you find it as riveting as I did. She has raised some excellent questions for further reflection.
The first thing that bothered me in the article was that I actually knew what the expression "side-boob" meant. I wish I didn't but I do, enough exposure to pop culture through Facebook and online research has me more mainstream slang-friendly than I would like. The other part that caught my attention was the author's surprise that mindfulness is being promoted through "success." I thought that was something common in the last decade or so. I sense that it is probably the most common vehicle for motivating and exposing mainstream people to mindfulness....
Benefits of Meditation: Being Present in Your Life
I remember when I used to have to look around for my keys, wallet, and shoes when leaving the house daily. I used to take in the mail daily, put it on a table, move it to the kitchen counter the next day, move it to my desk, and then eventually open it. Then, finally, weeks later, I would pay the bill or reply to the inquiry. The mail was often touched five or six times before an action occurred to complete the process. Calendars were like a bible to me since I never remembered what I was doing when, with whom, or at what time. There were countless return phone calls and messages cluttering my mind day and night. Clothes were rarely where they belonged; in fact, they were typically anywhere but where they belonged. There were times it was hard to tell the clean from the dirty piles; there was so much. Clutter of mind, home, and life were constant obstacles to being present and focused in my day. I am grateful these things are rarities in my life today!...
