Dukkha Earl

This week, an acquaintance asked me to recommend an introductory book about Buddhism. Now, I have read a great number of books written by monastics and most of these books are quite well written. But my impression is that they all presuppose a certain level of understanding and the person who asked for the recommendation…

This is a two part story. Part 2 will be more useful if you read Part 1 first. E. The “Family Curse” Five or six years ago, I went in for my annual wellness check. A day or two later, my doctor called me and said there was something about my labs that he “didn’t…

Death is an old friend of mine. We go waaay back. One might say we are inseparable. I think of my friend daily… multiple times each day in fact. And we meet in the strangest places at the most unexpected times. Some people might think this is morbid or depressing… even scary. But I disagree.…

Buddhist practice helps us develop patience. Not patience in the way I used to understand it… but a non-reactive inner peace that is stable in the face of changing conditions, no matter what those conditions may be. Like it or not, events unfold at their own pace.  We can choose to accept reality and be calm…

Why do so many people want to be famous? Fame seems like a curse to me. Famous people cannot go anywhere without being hounded by fans and haters alike. They always have to look presentable. And God help them if they pick their noses or scratch their asses in public. It will be all over…

Here in North America, many of us have a dysfunctional relationship with “stuff.” You know, money and material possessions. This relationship manifests in nonsensical ideas like, “He who dies with the most toys, wins,” or, “Stuff will not make you happy.” Personally, I don’t buy into either of those points of view. As usual, the…

Before I retired a few years ago, I fell off a ladder. I would like to tell you that I was in the process of saving a baby from a burning building, but the truth is I was doing some high dusting. Anyway, I injured my knee quite badly. The medical professionals were of the…

I attended a meeting a few days ago during which one of the participants made a statement regarding the Buddhist perspective on a topic under discussion. This individual is a friend of mine. He is an educated man…an attorney. He was well-meaning but he was also wrong. That isn’t surprising. I might have been more…

A friend of mine told me about an important lesson he learned from his father. I think it is a good lesson for everyone. My friend’s father was an internationally recognized expert in the science and management of fish, other marine life and their habitats. He literally wrote the book on the subject.

Q: As long as my actions benefit me and my family, why should I care if someone I don’t know is harmed? A: That seems to be the way most people go about living their lives. What they don’t take into account is that everything that exists is based on everything that has come before.