Taoism is another one you should read about, The Yin and Yang, the essential balance of life.

chicago offices last blog post..Launch of our new blog

Jake | Revive Your Lifes last blog post..Identifying and Overcoming Career Burnout

Sorry so vacant lately, Im starting to teach regularly, and am on the learning curve (in a good way). Hope to have you and Helen up for a class and maybe a stop at the Ocean Deck for a Beer and a Mahi Sandwich afterwards….

Note to all.. I purchased the cd’s, and am very happy with the decision. Word of Caution; When doing the “walking meditation”, do not rely on the kindness or enlightenment of your fellow man during this process. I had a guy veer off the road and almost take me out on the sidewalk this morning. Be alert!

I didn’t find the “put your heart back in your chest, and change your shorts” track anywhere on that cd. That would be my only suggestion for improvement to the set.

@Haider – I spend a fair amount of time helping people cope with violence. The spirit surrounding the application of self defense in conjunction with a moral, legal, and ethical directive, can still be congruous with a peaceful peoples “way”.

Those who act with violence, or threats of violence, rather than self defense show their one true weakness…cognitive diplomacy. Thus “Walk softly, but carry a BIG STICK”. Or Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum. Let he who desires peace, prepare for war. Not to engage in it, but to place consequence with the lack of diplomacy, encouraging a peaceful resolution. We are still quite animalistic aren’t we.

Best to all, I am sure you will enjoy!

@ Ned – To be fair I’ll bow to your better judgment on that, although it kinda feels unreligionlike to me, if there is such a word, which there isn’t ;-)

@ Laurie – I think the one I reviewed in so much as it is a great introduction to meditation period. The only thing I think is paramount to understand is that it isn’t an overnight fix, it takes patience and perseverance.

Knowing me a bit Tim, which one of his CD’s would you recommend to work on reducing anxiety?

A lot of Westerners are attracted to Buddhism these days. It looks like a good antidote to Christianity. The truth is that Buddhism is a religion and it is more like other religions than it is different.

Neds last blog post..The Voice in Your Head

I have to say this has been one of your best posts, I thought it was thought provoking, funny and illuminating.

I am not religious at all but I have said many times buddhism sits very comfortably with my beliefs about the world and the mind.

Thanks for this.

Steven Aitchisons last blog post..Guided Meditation – Well of The Wyrd

@ Mary Anne – Thanks very much! It’s funny the way this blog has morphed over recent months with stuff like this. Somebody asked me if I wrote a blog on life coaching the other day and I replied “not really” I think they thought I was being obtuse, but I wasn’t. I’m definitely going to ask Bodhipaksa if I can do a follow up at some stage because I feel like I’ve only just scratched the surface.

@ Haider – I never really said it was immoral, in fact I’m not sure what I thought in terms of morality. I understand what you are saying, but then I look at people like Gandhi and MLK and see what can be achieved without resorting to violence. I think that is something we should at least be aiming for and the starting point has to be a belief that it is better to live in a peaceful world, surely?

Now if you were to ask me if I think it’ll ever happen, well that’s another matter altogether.

A man went to a therapist convinced that he’s a chicken and was frightened of cats. After extensive therapy he came to accept that he was a man and not a chicken. The therapist brought in a cat to see how the man would respond. The man, on seeing the cat, jumped onto the table and started running in circles for fear of his life. The therapist said: “You’re not a chicken!” The man replied: “I know I’m not a chicken, but does the cat know that?”

I know violence is bad, but do those around me know that?

If they don’t, then I need to be aware of the need to resort to violence in some circumstances, especially in self-defense. I believe it’s unjust to blame both sides in every war, when one side is sometimes justified in using violence.

Of course we need to promote tolerance and a bias for peace, but we can’t completely dismiss violence as immoral.

Haiders last blog post..Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway

So glad you did this. There are a ton of misconceptions around Buddhism / spirituality, etc. A lot of people shy away from such teachings because they’re unaware of or “choose” to forget that Buddhist teachers are people, too! ;-)

And thanks to you, I’m now following one on Twitter. Hope you’ll write more posts in this vein.