A Mindful Life

Standing alone, with just waves and sky to witness eternity’s show. “Seastack Second Beach” by Lyle Hoefner ©2003/ ephotograph

You may notice in my sidebar that my “currently reading” list includes five books on pregnancy and motherhood. I’m of an age where I’m considered “past my prime” for it. On the other hand, it’s not out of the question. I’ve set out to make an informed choice. A friend gave me several of her [...]

I was raised in the Christian (Catholic) tradition. Over the years I have discovered Buddhist teachings to be compelling, and yet the roots of my spiritual origins run deep. I read a post on another blog which makes me curious to explore more the connections between Christianity and Buddhism. Suffering, symbolized by the cross, is [...]

Everyone who experiences depression struggles to convey the experience to those who do not. This excerpt comes closest to my own description, and the entire post provides several similes that might help. Depression is like seeing everyone else walking around and functioning normally on land, but somehow you have to walk through four feet of [...]

Below is the best instruction I’ve received this week! I dedicate myself to this “task” today (and will make a point of it tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow). A life bereft of imagination and a sense of play is joyless. Don’t mourn the loss of your childhood and curiosity… take it back. –Anne of Fishbucket [...]

An excerpt from Wendy Shanker’s book, The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life: See, I have enough problems without Procter & Gamble implying that I’ve got some sort of big, fat, crazy vagina down there that’s going to swallow you up if you get too close. Fat Girls have worked too hard to get beautiful, sexy [...]

Funds for mental health services to the low-income uninsured have been slashed in Texas, a state which ranks near the bottom of all states in regard to funding human services. I had hopes that places like Washington, with a better reputation for mental health services, would be unscathed, or would manage better than Texas. Well, [...]

I’m not a huge fan of Howard Stern, mostly because I find crass, adolescent humor generally not to my taste. (Actually, that’s not true. I find Chris Rock insanely funny, as well a many other comedians whose humor is quite ribald. Also, I saw Private Parts and found Stern to be a character I could [...]

Austin will soon observe its third annual Change Your Mind Day. From the press release: Buddhism has come to Austin and is here to stay: There are nearly a score of Buddhist organizations in Austin to date, from temples to weekly meditation and discussion groups, representing several Asian ethnicities as well as the new American [...]

Intrinsic enlightenment refers to the idea that all living beings are Buddhas. It does not mean that beings possess a Buddha nature, or that beings are containers in which a seed form of Buddha can be found, as if there were two realities, beings and Buddha. It means that beings are Buddhas, but they are [...]