Hardened Values

“All cultures have their values and principles, but if we accept them blindly, without reference to their personal and cultural subjectivity, then they can become a source of confusion, of judgments about the legitimacy of other ideas or even the value of a human life.”

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The Good Shepherd and the Outlaw

“If we can be fully present in the space of any emotion in its naked, raw state without conceptualizing it, then we stand a chance of transcending our dualistic mind, right then and there.”

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The Altruistic Heart

“Sometimes the most powerful medicine we can offer for suffering of any kind is simply kindness.”

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Throwing Out Our Cultural Cushions

“When we adopt too many aspects of the culture we are learning from, we can begin to feel pressured by it. We stop relating to situations with any immediacy. Instead, we relate to what is happening in front of us through a filter of rules and regulations.”

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No Piece of Cake

“Rebel buddha is not all mind and clear thinking. Rebel buddha has a very large heart with desires and passions of its own . . . .”

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Basic Training for Life

“Basic training on the Buddhist path involves working with our whole being—body, speech and mind.”

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Working with Our Confusion

Acquiring the skills and training to challenge our suffering and wake up the areas of our mind that are in a state of darkness similar to deep sleep.

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Buddha on the Road

A reflection on the dharma as it was brought to the West by Buddhist teachers in the late 50s and 60s, and some questions we might ask ourselves as we consider this path to the truth as applied to our modern lives.

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The Road to Freedom: What You Should Know

The difference between partial freedom and true freedom, a look at how our storylines and reactive patterns come into play, and why Buddhism is spiritual in nature, not religious.

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Born to Be Free

The true meaning of freedom, the difference between dharma and drama, and how our rebellious intelligence — our rebel buddha — challenges all illusions that stand between us and the truth.

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