Scott Hutchison – A Moment of Recognition
General Buddhism

A Smile

It’s funny how often recently when I’ve been reading other people’s Dharma blogs that I’ve found that the only thing I can contribute by way of a comment is a simple smile. So often something in their posts just ‘hits the mark’ and words are really inadequate to express what I feel in response. And,

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The second battle of Fallujah
General Buddhism

Always Taking Sides

This last few days I’ve been reading blogs from soldiers fighting in Iraq. I’ve also been reading the comments on those blogs, and some related materials from people around the world. The recurring theme throughout those comments has been how polarised people seem to be in their views. They are either ‘for’ or ‘against’ the

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Advertising flags outside Renault showroom
Vajrayana

Renault Prayer Flags

It’s funny how mind works when it is filled with the fullness of vision of Vajrayana. Right out the window of my office where I work are some flags advertising a car showroom. The flags flutter madly in the winds, often against blue skies and racing clouds. How similarly shaped are these flags to a

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15th century skeleton painting
General Buddhism

Death Is So Close

Driving in to work this morning, it really struck me how close to death we all are. Flying along the road, I was continually inches away from crashing into another car. One momentary misjudgement, on anyone of a hundred different drivers part, and the result would have been dramatic. More than that …. how many

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The Parable of the Raft
Mahamudra

Not Resting

How tempting it is for the mind to grasp onto what is directly perceived, and to ossify it into necessarily rigid and falsifying concepts. The raft of skilful use of conceptual understanding is a tricky one to ride, and one which seems to hold much potential for misuse. The Buddha described the Dharma as being

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Prayer Beads
General Buddhism

Beads on a String

It has really struck me over the weekend how much the continuity of meditation is facilitated by a daily practice. For many years when I started on the Dharmic path, I was fiercely concerned that I should meditate every day, following my teachers advice. Like many things in those days, there was a sense of

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Shadows And Dust painting by Alexander Millar
Mahamudra

Sick and Well

Yesterday I started to catch a cold. My mind was very cloudy indeed, and I felt like I was floating in a cloud. It was really hard to focus on anything and retain that focus as I tended to drift off into blankness. Mentally, it was real hard to apply myself to work, and thoughts

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