-
Archives
- May 2026
- April 2026
- March 2026
- February 2026
- January 2026
- December 2025
- November 2025
- October 2025
- September 2025
- August 2025
- July 2025
- June 2025
- May 2025
- April 2025
- January 2022
- June 2021
- May 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- October 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- October 2014
- May 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- September 2013
- July 2013
- March 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- November 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- June 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
-
Meta
Author Archives: Major Tom
Your “friends” response from the Dalai
Young Buddha, First, your friends may not be racist, but they are very narrow minded, and if they are saying things like that, they may be hopeless. I wonder what they thought of Bush 2? I too have always been … Continue reading
Posted in General
Leave a comment
Help me, Dalai, how do I keep my friends that don’t share my ideology?
Dalai, OK, here’s one for you. I need advice. There’s a line from the Big Chill, where Sam (the actor) was reminiscing about days at Michigan and he said something like: “I thought since they looked like us, and acted … Continue reading
Posted in General
Leave a comment
Obama Fact Checking 1/2009-3/2016
Some may respond that FactCheck.org is not objective, but if they aren’t then who is? There’s good and bad in these numbers and, as Fact Check says: “We leave it to our readers to judge how much credit or blame … Continue reading
Posted in General
Leave a comment
“Behind every great fortune there is a great crime.”
— Honoré de Balzac I read this today, and I’m not sure I am in full agreement. Granted, there is truth, but does not this discount rich good people?
Posted in General
Leave a comment
Pope Vs. Trump
So, I’m going to get into the political arena again. First, I’m not Catholic and second, I’m not Republican. I’m not defending Trump and I think the current Pope is absolutely marvelous. However, it feels as though one of Jesus’s … Continue reading
Posted in General
Leave a comment
Why is it?
you don’t understand cancer until you or a loved one has it you don’t understand a handicap until someone you know has one you don’t understand gun control until someone you know gets shot you don’t understand being gay until … Continue reading
Posted in General
Leave a comment
More Gun Control
I don’t understand how anyone doesn’t see the need for gun control. After the latest you would think … But some say it’s all about helping the mentally ill and that taking guns won’t solve anything. IT’S NOT ONE OR … Continue reading
Posted in General
Leave a comment
Gun Reform
Can we approach this without inflaming the right? It’s not about taking your guns, it’s about reform. How do we solve the mass killings? Giving more guns to people isn’t working.
Posted in General
Leave a comment
Guns don’t kill people, people kill people
I keep hearing that, but my question is, would people without guns kill people? I know that there are a hundred responses to this and some will be hostile, but that’s not what it’s about. Some think we need to … Continue reading
Posted in General
Leave a comment
Passion Exposure Vs. Extreme View points
I was thinking the other day how much I admire people who can really stand up for what they believe. You know them – the Democrats that post their Hillary images on Facebook; or the Gun Law proponents. They’re actually … Continue reading
Posted in General
Leave a comment
An introvert’s spirituality
As an introvert, we may not be able to appear as spiritual as an extrovert. It’s not in our DNA. Greeting someone in church next to you because the pastor is asking you to can be uncomfortable. Asking to be … Continue reading
Posted in Acceptance
Leave a comment
Concealing the truth with preconception
http://www.tricycle.com/insights/selective-wisdom If we go into “something” with a preconceived idea of what it will be, we could be concealing the truth.
Posted in General
Leave a comment
Trikaya
There is another subtler way to understand the trikaya, and it is this understanding that Trungpa Rinpoche taught. He did it in this way. Stepping to the blackboard, he picked up a piece of chalk and drew this figure. Then … Continue reading
Posted in General
Leave a comment
Function of a Government
“The proper function of a government is to make it easy for the people to do good, and difficult for them to do evil.” — Daniel Webster
Posted in General
Leave a comment
Easter Metaphor
Once again, I’m confused by the literal meaning of Jesus dying for our sins. Today’s message from the pastor told of how a man jumped on a grenade in order to save his friend in a foxhole. I get that. … Continue reading
Posted in Acceptance, Mythology
Leave a comment
China’s motive
http://www.tricycle.com/blog/china-asserts-control-over-dalai-lama-lineage This is interesting from several vantage points. What is the ulterior motive? If China doesn’t believe in the religion, then what is the need to control the next Dalai Lama? Could it be more than just political? Maybe – … Continue reading
Posted in General
Leave a comment
Silence
Easier said than done to train your mind to desire the silence. http://www.tricycle.com/blog/fear-silence
Posted in General
Leave a comment
8 Mantras to help break selfishness
http://www.tricycle.com/dharma-talk/breaking-habit-selfishness Obviously easier said than done, and maybe not something that can be done all the time in our world. But, good practice for daily mediations and life living.
Posted in General
Leave a comment
Remain Constant to Zazen
Live modestly with goods and belongings Live in awareness of the environment and its fragility Practice kindness Maintain creative practice and activity in the arts Be faithful to solitude Propagate peace in the world and the surrounding communities Remain in … Continue reading
Posted in General
Leave a comment
Destroy or Sustain
Do we destroy or do we sustain the world? Of all the current worlds and previous worlds, I wonder where we stand? In some ways, is this God’s little game – his way to experience time?
Posted in General
Leave a comment
Anger – hard to manage
“If we want to succeed in life and bring about a more peaceful world, we must learn to control our emotions and not to be affected by a moment of anger.” — Master Hsing Yun, “Don’t Get Mad, Don’t Get … Continue reading
Posted in Acceptance
Leave a comment
The Necessity of Love & Compassion
“There is no denying that our happiness is inextricably bound up with the happiness of others. There is no denying that if society suffers, we ourselves suffer. Nor is there any denying that the more our hearts and minds are … Continue reading
Posted in General
Leave a comment
Sage advice from Mike Kincaid – the king Swigmaster:
“Attend when you want to; that’s Swigness; the flow into everything and nothingness, whatever you need at the moment you need it; nothing more, nothing less, unless you require more or less of whatever you need.”
Posted in General
Leave a comment
Poverty and Capitalism
I know that there will be those that will point out that there are those in poverty that take advantage of the system; or that for whatever reason they deserve to be there. But, unless we’ve been in their shoes, … Continue reading
Posted in General
Leave a comment
Do we need help?
Spiritual experience and goods can certainly reinforce a consuming mind, too, and it is no surprise to see this happening in a consumer culture. Marketers are successfully targeting spiritual consumers as a market niche and figuring out exactly what … Continue reading
Posted in General
Leave a comment
It feels good
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/world/europe/pope-bluntly-faults-churchs-focus-on-gays-and-abortion.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&emc=edit_na_20130919&pagewanted=all& In times where extremes are the norm (especially in politics), it’s refreshing to see areas that were once thought to be strongholds to be tearing down those walls.
Posted in General
Leave a comment
First the Pope and now Iran
Another great gesture. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/09/04/irans-president-just-wished-all-jews-a-happy-rosh-hashanah-on-twitter/
Posted in Acceptance
Leave a comment
Admiration for the Pope
I am sure that the Pope’s decision on “who am I to judge” about homosexuality took great courage. I admire his decision and hope that with this wall having been breached, that others too, will follow suit. I respect the … Continue reading
Posted in Acceptance
Leave a comment