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

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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

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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

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“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?

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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If you don’t get it here, you’re not going to get it.

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Interpretations

This kind of says it all. 😉

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Silence

Easier said than done to train your mind to desire the silence. http://www.tricycle.com/blog/fear-silence  

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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.

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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

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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?

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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

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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

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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.”

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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

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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

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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.

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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/  

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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

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