Tag: Introductory
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Goth Zen and the Art of Melancholy: Living Disguised as Loss
Read time 2 minutes. The Art of Melancholy is a stand alone article in our ongoing Goth Zen series. We chase light.We idealize positivity as if it is synonymous with living. Meanwhile, every tradition whispers of balance, equality, and the middle way. There’s a feeling that washes in when summer turns to fall—a sense of satisfaction, of being…
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The Bear: Season 4 Is Not-Not Zen—002
Read time 3 minutes. Season 4 of The Bear explores chaos, dissonance, and the search for balance. In season 4 of The Bear, the clock is always ticking down to zero—and never ticking at all. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” says Carmy.“Tomorrow is today,” replies Cousin. At one point, Philip K. Dick is arbitrarily quoted: “Everything in…
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Unfiltered Vision: Perception Merges Back Into the Perceived
Read time 4 minutes. Unfiltered Vision is the first stand alone article in our new model of reality series. In our last series we pecked away at the nature and causes of awakening. Today we shall consider the concept of unfiltered vision. We should always remember that our inherent tendency to view the world through the lens of…
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Micro-Awakenings: The Rhythm of Letting Go, Again and Again
Read time 2 minutes. An exploration into micro-awakenings. Create a gap and allow clarity to emerge. This stand alone article is part of our series on awakening. Is it possible to achieve something without really doing anything? What if resolving a problem didn’t involve coming to any sort of resolution? We’re conditioned to believe effort is…
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A Taste of Awakening: The Moment That Everything Changes
Read time 2 minutes. Mini-awakenings teach us and provide motivation. This is the first stand alone article in our series on awakening. We begin life in ignorant bliss. But then, one day—on a walk, sitting on the porch, lying in a blooming meadow—something shifts. In a flash, it washes over us, unexpected and undeniable. Clarity.…
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Acceptance As Awareness: Goldilocks Gets It Just Right
Read time 4 Minutes. Acceptance reframed as awareness. In the ongoing effort to simplify the teachings, acceptance seems—at first glance—like the simplest lesson of all. Familiar, gentle, obvious. Yet if taken too literally, acceptance can lead to confusion or frustration. I know it did for me in the early stages of practice. So let’s revisit…
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Discover Your True Self By Understanding Who You Are Not
Read time 3 minutes. Discover Your True Self is a stand alone article in our Who Am I series. In the next series of writings, we’ll step deeper into the distinction between the true self of Tao and the false self of ego. There are many approaches to truth, but one path stands out for its…
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Roses and Thorns: “Me,” The Great Troublemaker
Read time 3 minutes. A new perspective we can take when walking amidst the garden, roses and thorns. At first glance, this lesson may sound like it is about optimism over pessimism. There is some of that here, but let us take it a step deeper. When we walk into a garden, our attention naturally…
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Radical Acceptance: Is It Just A Bit Too Radical For Me Right Now?
Read time 3 minutes. Radical Acceptance is a stand alone article in our series regarding Acceptance. When we talk about radical acceptance, it’s tempting to frame it as an all-or-nothing proposition. Zen teachings certainly suggest as much. Accept everything, without exception. But what if you’re not ready for that? What if the very idea feels…