deconditioning

"Deeply habituated cultural, social, religious, familial, and personal karmic conditionings dominate the untrained mind. Awareness practice brings these forces into view for observation."

- Steve Armstrong
- http://www.tricycle.com/dharma-talk/got-attitude?offer=dharma

in praise of solitude

“In praise of solitude”. Lots of people have written about it. The following list begins with four individual impressions then moves on through Thoreau and official psychology to a couple of Buddhism sources. The transpersonal dimension is not always appreciated. Contemplatives unite - yoh!

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/garrison_keillor/2009/06/24/solitude
http://zenhabits.net/creative-habit/
http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/02/16/in-praise-of-solitude/
http://www.cfidsselfhelp.org/library/in-praise-solitude

http://thoreau.eserver.org/walden05.html
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199802/the-call-solitude

Shantideva
http://www.tricycle.com/dharma-talk/cutting-ties-the-fruits-solitude
Wander alone like a rhinoceros
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.1.03.than.html

secular acorn to spiritual oak

To be an acorn is to have a taste for being an oak tree.
(Thomas Merton)

calm

"Beware the barrenness of a busy life."
(Socrates)

time is a changing

FAST TIMES, SLOW TIMES - An Interview with Moussa Ag Assarid

http://www.limglobal.net/readings/110.html

puddle drunk

“The ordinary person is like a drunkard lying in a mud puddle. Someone arouses him and says, “This puddle is no place to be lying down in.” The drunkard glares angrily and says, “I have never drunk alcohol - why do you slander me?” These days the whole world suffers from the drunkard’s illness. How can I find one who isn’t drunk to talk with?” (Zibo (1543-1604))

discourse

Post-modern discourse - utterances need hyperlinks that lead to other utterances that need hyperlinks … and so on - till silence takes over.

Language and Freeedom: Meaning in Zen - Book Review by John Crook

Language and Freeedom: Meaning in Zen - Book Review by John Crook: "

What is the place of Zen in contemporary thought, the relation of Buddhist metaphysics to philosophy and the value of ancient texts to thinking people today? These and related questions form the subject matter of this intelligent, subtle and provoking book. Dale S. Wright, Professor of Religious Studies, Occidental College, Los Angeles, provides a thought provoking read especially for those of us concerned with problems of representing Buddhism, and Zen in particular, within Western culture today."

The Sound Of Stillness

The Sound Of Stillness: "The Sound Of Stillness -
Exploring darkness and light at an eight-day silent retreat"

dharma gravity

Gravity is present for all people in all places - whether or not there is an articulated law. The same is true of the dharma. Thus there might well be ordinary western people who are enlightened in the Buddhist sense although they know nothing about Buddhism.