The practices that we receive from the Asian traditions of Buddhism are the product of literally hundreds of years of experience and refinement. It is sometimes difficult to appreciate the many dimensions of even a simple practice. I discuss here one framework for understanding what is important in practice and then apply it to our practice of … [Read more...] about The Four Ways of Working
Training
Learned Helplessness
Conversation I "I can't do it," he said. "What prevents you?" I asked. Long silence. "Do you know how to do it?" "Oh, yes," he replied, "but I can't." "'Can't' or 'won't'," I asked, pushing a bit. Another long silence. "You don't understand," he said. "Everything you say makes sense. I understand how to do it. But I can't." "So what prevents … [Read more...] about Learned Helplessness
Imagine You're Enlightened
This article first appeared in Buddhadharma, Fall 2007. In 1974 I was translating for Dezhung Rinpoche, a wonderfully warm and kind scholar and master who had settled in Seattle in the early sixties, soon after the Tibetan diaspora. He had come out of retirement in response to the interest in Tibetan Buddhism that had developed in the seventies and … [Read more...] about Imagine You're Enlightened
Attention in Speech
"Then you should say what you mean," the March Hare went on. "I do," Alice hastily replied; "at least -- I mean what I say -- that's the same thing, you know." "Not the same thing a bit!" said the Hatter. "Why, you might just as well say that 'I see what I eat' is the same thing as 'I eat what I see'!" "You might just as well say," added the March … [Read more...] about Attention in Speech