Category: Zen Power
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The Animal Within Us
I don’t have a large house by any means. But there’s plenty of room for three cats and two humans. In addition to our first floor, we have a basement, an upstairs, and an attic space. If our four-legged children wanted, they could divide the house up into sections and never see each other. Instead,…
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Pictures on My Wall
Many years ago, I attended a Dharma talk on nonattachment. The monk explained the teaching by discussing the importance of having bare walls. He explained that if we decide that we want to hang a picture on the wall, that requires us to buy a frame for the picture. Then we have to get…
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The inside story
Many years ago, I was invited to visit a psychology class to speak about Buddhist meditation. The class was taught by a senior professor, a respected scholar who had studied the mind for decades and had published many peer-reviewed articles in the leading journals in his field. Toward the end of my presentation, I offered…
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Wrens’ nests
In the opening lines of his poem “Gauze,” Ted Kooser, a former Poet Laureate of the United States, asks a provocative question: “Can a man in his eighties, with cancer, / be happy?” In the remaining lines, he provides a tentative answer: It seems that he can, cutting yesterday’s gauze dressing in pieces…
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Cultivate Positivity with Mindful Practices
Go for a walk A walk refreshes not only your mind and body but also your perspectives on anything. Sitting down too long and working on something can, at times, cause a block or murky feelings. Just taking a small break and walking will totally refresh everything. If you have never tried it, why not…
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Is Being Alone Healthier than Feeling Lonely?
Many people feel alone or lonely at times. But what is the difference between the two? Which one is healthier? Being alone and feeling lonely are different experiences. Being alone means spending time by yourself, and it can be a choice. This time alone can be positive. It provides you time to think, be creative,…