I recently noticed that the "For Dummies" franchise had a book called "Buddhism for Dummies". This made me laugh. Buddhism is a philosophy (and, in some areas of the world, a religion) full of deep-sounding expressions, lots of
quiet time alone, and complicated teachings that could (and will) take a lifetime (or two)
to unravel. The Buddhist path suggests that you simultaneously be okay
with where you are in your life, recognize that there is a more
peaceful and compassionate way to live and that there is a well-worn path to that
way, and to recognize that none of this matters because you don't
exist.
In Buddhism, there's no externalizing responsibility for the good and the
bad to fates or gods or god or holy ghosts; karma, once you really
start to understand what that means, is as rational as 2+2=4 or the
recipe for water. No judgement here unless you choose to bring your
own, but it's a fact that as you travel the world you'll meet some really smart people,
regular smart people, people of average intelligence, and dumb people. I've noticed that everyone I meet who is practicing Buddhism is regular smart, or really smart, and I'm wondering what's up with that.
I wake up early every morning, meditate, make coffee, write a bit and usually check out a few sites online. Besides the
Interdependence Project One City blog, which I humbly submit manages to have a more relevant, lively, and consistent conversation about Buddhist technique in 21st century lifestyle than anyone else out there - I've found that there are a handful of blogs and websites I always come back to. So in no particular order, here are the 10 of the best websites to check out when exploring your own practice (or just if you're just curious about Buddhism).
I follow most of these by subscribing with the always free
Google Reader; before that i just had a little folder called "Daily Reading" in my Firefox toolbar. Many of them have Twitter accounts as well.
I've been putting this off for a while, but
since yesterday's conversation here with
Buddhist Geeks Vince Horn pretty much started a blazing meteor shower of comments, it's time to come out and say it - my dharma is better than YOUR dharma - nothing personal against Vince - my dharma is better than EVERYBODY's dharma. For real.
As the venerable Ethan Nichtern once quoted the Buddha here at
Beliefnet.com "As the wise test gold by burning, cutting and rubbing it..., so are you
to accept my words only after examining them and not merely out of
regard for me." I.e. if the Kool Aid doesn't seem right to you, don't drink it. My Kool Aid is cold, crisp, refreshing - and delicious.
So without futher ado, here's five reasons why my dharma is wayyyy better than your dharma.
I thought it might be useful to share a quick check-in on my own personal practice. Lately I've had plenty of opportunities for distracting thoughts, which is just great for practicing meditation. I mean, if you want to hone your tennis game then you don't play against someone lesser than you - even Buddha had Mara show up throughout his life to tempt him with distractions, to keep him on his toes. It's hard to grasp in our process/goal focused world, but meditation practice is not a zero-sum game. It's not a game at all really. Actually lately when I've been sitting it's felt more like a restaurant, with a menu full of fabulous and tasty things for my mind to chew on instead of just focusing on the breath.
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