Tag: Introductory
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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…
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Beyond Mindfulness and the Limitation of Expectations
Read time 5 minutes. Beyond Mindfulness is a stand alone article in our series regarding mindfulness and meditation. I recently read an article on McGill regarding mindfulness meditation which addressed some of the possible shortcomings of that practice. The article states that many studies seem to indicate that, at least in the short term, mindfulness…
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Acceptance and Resignation: It’s Okay vs. I Don’t Care
Read time 2 minutes. Why Real Acceptance Feels Different. This stand alone article is part of our continuing series regarding self-control. Before we get into the next few practical and transformative lessons, we need to take a breath and regroup. If you’ve been following along, you’ve probably noticed something already: the teachings lean heavily on negation—not-doing,…
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A Basic Mindfulness Practice with Radical Impact
Read time 2 minutes. A basic mindfulness practice that begins with a simple question. This is the first stand alone article in our series regarding mindfulness and meditation. Today we shall consider one of the earliest and most powerful practices:Whenever something annoys you, frustrates you, offends you—ask yourself: What do I really want to have happen…
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Opening of the Third Eye: Practice vs. Understanding
Read time 2 minutes. The opening of the third eye involves the interplay of Zen understanding and practice as preparation for transformation. In our last lesson, we looked at the power of correct understanding. Today, we’ll turn to Zen practice and look at how these two forces quietly conspire. Together, they form a structure. Not…
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Correct Understanding of Zen: The Three Pillars
Read time 2 minutes. How Duality, Ego, and Thought Shape—and Distort—Our View of Reality, formulating a correct understanding of Zen teachings. Let’s take a moment to step back. Sometimes the clearest insight arrives not through progress, but through pause. A brief reset. A return to the basics—because the foundation matters more than we think. Zen…
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Non-Action, Tao, and the Wisdom of Letting Go
Read time 2 minutes. Non-action is the seed out of which everything flowers. This stand alone article is the first in our Addition Through Subtraction series. Chapter 48 of the Tao Te Ching reads:To learn, one increases day by day;To cultivate Tao, one reduces day by day.Reduce and reduce and keep on reducing,Till the state…