The Wrong Way To Enter A Zen Monastery! (part 1)

Posted on 23rd | Posted by admin in Health and Fitness

The spiritual life sometimes begins with unlikely candidates, in unlikely situations! Not long after Janet and I made our dash out west in 1978, the bill collectors got serious about my wild spending. They repossessed my car, harassed me at the furniture store where I was working, and made my life as miserable as only they know how.

It ended up being a battle of wits, with me stubbornly determined not to pay them a damn nickel, and soon I was looking for a place to disappear for a few years. I also had to find some answers. My shallow Catholic background, steeped in useless “mystery, miracles, and authority” where I was never exposed to Catholicism’s deeper aspects, such as the contemplative saints, was failing me.

How To Approach A Thoughtless Person

Posted on 16th | Posted by admin in Health and Fitness

A “thoughtless” person can be very dangerous to ourselves, and unpredictable as well. Thoughtless people are all over the place, we seem to run into them constantly these days, and when we do, we must be prepared to respond in the appropriate manner.

Perhaps “thoughtless” is not the correct terminology here. When we typically think of a thoughtless person, we think of a person who is actually filled with thoughts, constant thoughts, and not thoughtless at all. They are filled with endless thoughts about themselves, so much so, that there is no room for others, or the opinions of others. This person is filled with himself to the point that he no longer notices others, or attempts to help them. He only helps himself. If he does happen to notice someone else, it is usually from the standpoint of contempt.