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My Mentor gave me two instructions before I left to stay with the monks: 1) keep an open mind, and 2) bring back a flower. I’ll get back to you on that second one. So I packed  and left early Friday morning for a weekend at the Wat Carolina Buddhist Monastery completely unaware of what to expect. Turns…

Every year we set aside one day to honor our mothers. Some get breakfast in bed. We purchase gifts. We take our mothers out to dinner…all to celebrate on one day what our mothers do for our whole lives. Why not celebrate them everyday? The Buddha once said: Love the world as a mother loves…

How is everyone? Great to hear. Now I know you’re going to be upset; I am leaving for the Wat Carolina Buddhist Monastery in about 20 minutes which means no internet and therefore no highly interesting, enlightening, and charming blog posts for about 48 hours. Remember what we learned about attachments? I’m kidding. I love you.…

The package in the mail was unexpected. My life changed once I pulled the contents from the envelope. I grew faint and nearly passed out from shock. This, was a random act of kindness. Brothers, Right Thought (from the Eightfold Path) consists of thought in which there is universal love. In reality, the love to which…

My youngest daughter: “That’s a whole lot of bald, Daddy.” Me: “Well, you could shave your head like me and become a Buddhist nun.” Youngest daughter: “No, because nuns don’t get to say bad words.” My youngest daughter, at five years old, cannot wait to turn 19 so that she can say the ultimate bad word:…

I’m hesitant to write this post. Honestly, I don’t think I’m ready. As I sit in front of my tiny wooden statue of the Buddha, flanked by two candles, I cannot help but hear a faint whisper saying… “Time is now.” Siddhartha Gautama taught that our existence is conditioned by the past actions and thoughts of the universe…

Good morning, my friends. I have looked forward to this day, for Buddhism is part of the spiritual/philosophical tradition of the Indian subcontinent…a tradition that spoke deeply to me during my time with Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism). To define Buddhism as a religion is inaccurate. Some believe this system is atheistic. Others, a non-theistic extension of Hinduism.…

It’s tradition around here to leave a video of what I’ve been up to all month. Typically I post this vid on the last day of the month, however due to the fact that the last day of April falls on a Saturday (and thus Shabbat), I’m restricted from using the computer. Mandatory rest is…

Few people enjoy tests. In fact, many of us are in the middle of final exams right now and those are never fun. The fact remains however, that much of life seems to be a test. If you prescribe to one of the three Abrahamic faiths, this life (for most believers) is actually a “proving ground” of…

Is it just me or did April just fly by? I can’t believe we’re already in the last week of Judaism, but here we are. Tradition holds that I take this week to reflect on what I’ve learned, what I’d change, and what I’ll carry with me going forward. Honestly though, I wish I could…
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