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The practice pulls us together, but we are not all headed in the same direction at the same time. We long for community but do not know how to sit with difference. We try to take connection and eviscerate what makes us distinct.
“Directly understanding this difference between being lost in thoughts and being aware of them has a significant impact in our lives, because we are often not simply lost in thoughts, but also acting them out. So much of the suffering in the world—injustice, war, violence, and exploitation—comes from people acting out thoughts and feelings of greed, hatred, and fear. If we become aware of the greed or hatred or fear that is influencing us, we can then reflect upon that rather than strike out because of it. We need to see this root cause of suffering not only out there in other people’s lives, but also in our own minds, our own lives as well.”
― One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism
― One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism
“We go outside after a rainstorm and feel that moment of delight at the sight of a rainbow in the sky. Mostly, we simply enjoy the sight without investigating the real nature of what is happening. But when we look more deeply, it becomes clear that there is no “thing” called rainbow apart from the particular conditions of air and moisture and light.”
― One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism
― One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism
“Teachers and students alike may indeed have authentic openings and moments of realization; however, for almost all it is really just the beginning. The habit patterns of desire and aversion, restlessness and conceit run very deep in the mind, and unless we continue to practice, these patterns continue to play themselves out in our lives. The great danger is in assuming that we are done with our journey, that we have reached the final goal, and thereby justify or ignore unskillful actions and states of mind that may still be happening.”
― One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism
― One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism
Zachary’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Zachary’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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