One City: A Buddhist Blog for Everyone

Ethan Nichtern: July 2009 Archives

Friday July 31, 2009

Categories: Buddhism

Do You Meditate? Who's your Favorite Buddhist Meditation Teacher?

If you meditate or study Buddhism, you eventually have to find a meditation teacher, either through books on meditation, Buddhist podcasts, meditation lectures, Dharma talks, or hopefully good old fashioned human contact. There are lots of great teachers out there, but personal contact can sometimes be hard, especially if you are shy or hesitant.

meditation_teacher.jpg
(photo courtesy of The Chronicles Project)

So...who's your favorite teacher? Who's affected your life the most? Have you met them personally or just received wisdom and insight from them at a distance? If you are having a hard time finding teachers, maybe we can give some advice here at the One City Blog.

For myself, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche (above) is where it's at. He is an amazing bridge of east-west knowledge and culture. Especially if you want to study the Vajrayana teachings of the Shambhala tradition, you need to meet him. I haven't ever met another human being with his level of personal discipline. The ease with which he handles adversity, his humor,  his radiant kindness (seriously, the dude glows) and especially his ability to clarify the complexity of the teachings of the Shambhala tradition all make him without peer (in my humble opinion). Not that it's a competition. I'm not trying to create a US News and World Report list of the Best Buddhist Teachers here. Just trying to see who you are connecting with, because connecting with teachers is superduper important, you hear?

Tuesday July 28, 2009

Sonia Sotomayor Confirmation Set for the Supreme Court

The Senate panel indeed voted to recommend to have Sonia Sotomayor confirmed. The panel voted 13-6 in favor of her. Lindsey Graham  of South Carolina was the only Republican to vote yes. Ah, Republicans are so negative these days. Cheer up, fellas. Now it goes to the full Senate for an overwhelmingly likely confirmation. Personally, apologies to Pat Buchanan, but we need more of the wise latina perspective, no matter who built this country. Thoughts?

sonia_sotomayor.jpg



Thursday July 23, 2009

Jon Stewart, Obama, Gates and the Birthers' Movement

Jon Stewart gave it to the Birthers' Movement last night. Can we focus on something more important? And I'm not talking about today's focus on President Obama's Gates commentary last night.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
The Born Identity
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show
Full Episodes
Political HumorJoke of the Day

Wednesday July 22, 2009

Categories: Buddhism, Everybody Hurts

Meditation for Caregivers: Stress, Fear and Lovingkindness

sharon_salzberg.jpgThis is another post by Sharon Salzberg for the One City Blog. Sharon is one of three Buddhist lineage mentors for the Interdependence Project. She is also one of the foremost (and most awesome) Buddhist meditation teachers in America. She will next be teaching at the I.D. Project on November 11, 2009 as part of our Fall Buddhist Study Course. Check out other opportunities to study with her below.

--Ethan Nichtern

Meditation, Stress-Relief
, Fear, and Lovingkindness


As I have learned through my own years of experience, meditation can help us to relax, defuse stress and experience greater calm. It is also a way to explore the mind-body relationship, connect to our feelings, challenge our habits of fear and self-judgment, and discover a more sustained, genuine happiness. The insight we gain in meditation practice helps us see what in fact we cannot control, which translates into our ability to have healthier
boundaries about our work and our efforts to make this a better world.

Monday July 20, 2009

Meditation: "Attachment" is the Worst Failure Ever (Apologies to Republicans)

Republicans "Bombed" Google so that a top search result for worst failure ever would lead to the Obama administration site.

When it comes to translation of Buddhist terms and ideas, I can think of an even more massive fail. I have been thinking about the word attachment in relationship to Buddhist meditation and the practice of Buddhism. I think it's just about the worst translation imaginable, and has probably turned countless people away from Buddhism. Upadana is the Sanskrit/Pali word, and I feel that the words fixation, grasping, or obsession get at the meaning much more insightfully.

worst_failure_ever.jpg

Friday July 17, 2009

Categories: Buddhism

Did Meditation Produce The World's Happiest Man? Daniel Goleman on Mingyur Rinpoche

A great blog post in the New York Times by Buddhist author Daniel Goleman about the young Tibetan master Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, who has been dubbed the happiest man in the world (apparently it's no longer fellow Buddhist Matthieu Ricard)....

Wednesday July 15, 2009

Categories: Arts and Media

Obama Throws Like A Girl? What Year is This?

Hey Baseball Fans: Some people are saying President Obama throws like a girl after his all-star game pitch last night. I couldn't tell; the camera work was horrible. Was Obama booed? Everything I saw reported thunderous applause. And btw, when...

Monday July 13, 2009

Categories: Arts and Media

Sharon Salzberg: Buddhism and Art - "The 8 Train"

This is a guest post by Sharon Salzberg for the One City Blog. Sharon is one of three Buddhist lineage mentors for the Interdependence Project. She is also one of the foremost (and most awesome) Buddhist meditation teachers in...

Monday July 13, 2009

Categories: Arts and Media

Money Magazine: Best Places To Live - HERE is #1

Money Magazine just revealed Money Magazine: Best Places to Live.  It's a strange list for 2009. Tops is...drumroll...Louisville, CO. Um...ok. Warren, NJ is #6! Great! Whatever you say. I thought #1 was Brooklyn. What is the point of these top...

Monday July 13, 2009

Buddhism, Meditation, Psychology, and Therapy

Are you interested in Buddhist meditation and its link to psychology, therapy, healing arts, and a contemporary understanding of the mind? What might Carl Jung say about Buddhism or guided meditation? Would Pema Chodron and Freud get into a ballroom...

Tuesday July 7, 2009

Obama vs. Palin 2012? Roger Stone Thinks Maybe. Eugene Robinson and Sane People, Not So Much

According to Republican Strategist Roger Stone, Palin did the right thing on Friday if she wants to run for President in 2012. Meanwhile, on Fox News, Palin got hammered. Yes, I said Fox News slammed her. A Republican running for...

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About One City: A Buddhist Blog for Everyone

Welcome to One City. You've lived here your whole life, whether you know it or not. One City blog is an outgrowth of The Interdependence Project, a Buddhist-inspired nonprofit organization led by Ethan Nichtern, dedicated to teaching the insights of Buddhism, meditation, mindfulness, and interconnectedness in the 21st century world.

If you're interested in how your mind works, are interested in meditation (but don't want to pretend you live in ancient Asia), care about the world, are into media, love contemporary culture, and above all, really dig the truth of interdependence-that nothing happens in a vacuum--then this blog is for you.

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About the Authors

Davee Evans
A Shambhala practitioner in San Francisco
» Posts by Davee Evans
Evelyn Cash
Evelyn is a Soto Zen practitioner and engineer living in Wichita, Kansas.
» Posts by Evelyn Cash
Ethan Nichtern
Author, founding director of the Interdependence Project, and the host of the I.D. Project’s popular weekly podcast
» Posts by Ethan Nichtern
Ellen Scordato
A business owner, editor, teacher, and board member of the Interdependence Project
» Posts by Ellen Scordato
Greg Zwahlen
Practices meditation and studies Buddhism
» Posts by Greg Zwahlen
Jerry Kolber
A writer, producer, and director for television, film, and theater in NYC
» Posts by Jerry Kolber
Jon Rubinstein
Jon writes about art and the media from a Buddhist perspective.
» Posts by Jon Rubinstein
Kirsten Firminger
A Doctoral Candidate in Social Psychology
» Posts by Kirsten Firminger
Lodro Rinzler
Lodro Rinzler is a second-generation Shambhala Buddhist practitioner and teacher.
» Posts by Lodro Rinzler
Paul Griffin
A writer, scholar, and tutor in New York City
» Posts by Paul Griffin
Patrick Groneman
Assistant Director of the Interdependence Project
» Posts by Patrick Groneman
Stillman Brown
A photographer, writer, and meditation practitioner living in Brooklyn, NY
» Posts by Stillman Brown
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