18 Oct 21.

On Monday, I got up before 6AM and drove to Dublin again to sit with Soto Zen folks, this time at 7.15 in the morning. The sun was raising slowly on the wall in front of me. We did a bit of walking meditation. I noticed people rushing about outside a large window of the …

17 Oct 21.

I went to Dublin to practice with Soto Zen folks. Sitting with my back straight, facing the wall. As the sun set, I watched my shadow on the wall in front of me slowly disappearing, evening becoming night, sunlight becoming candlelight.

9 Nov. Killing the Buddha.

What a relief to put Buddhism away. One day, I was reading some sutras about heavens, hells, angel-like creatures, punishment and reward in the afterlife. Paradoxically, it sounded way more familiar to the Christian apostate in me than it did to the Dhamma follower working on abandoning attachment, lessening the ego and awaking compassion here …

14 Sep 19. I keep dying.

When I meditate each day, I observe how the default mode network in my brain takes over each time I lose my focus. And each time, I die a little bit. My body is there, but my mind is not. I pop in and out of existence. When my mind wanders - what is that which …

9/6/19. Sensations.

When I was meditating a few days ago, watching all that anger, fear, lust, conceit, sadness, and ignorance, I was suddenly struck by a realisation. Even though my mind and the world throw a wide variety of objects at me all the time I classify all of them as either pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. There …

3 June. Desire.

For the past week, each night, my son asked me to meditate with him. We use guided meditations for kids on Buddhify app. So we sit on his bed, our elbows and knees touching, eyes closed, the attention placed on the breath in the body. He really enjoys it. He says it makes him feel …

2 Jun. Buddha and the Universe. Part 2.

Here is another quote from the sutras about Buddha's view on the physical Universe (I think...). You can check out the first mindboggling quote I have come across here. This one is from "Andhakara Sutta" (SN 56:46): There is, monks, an inter-cosmic [intergalactic?] void, an unrestrained darkness, a pitch-black darkness, where even the light of the sun …

24 May. Nothing dies.

I haven't been here in a while and I know what you've been asking yourself. Yes, I still binge listening to Billie Eilish. By the way, here is an update on how my practice is going in the style of the monologue of the lustful wife of that boring advertising agent. So many wonderful sutras …

15 Jan. Doing what’s right.

I manage to sit every day. I am delighted. Not because I am getting anywhere but because I am doing what is right, what feels natural. It is not always pleasant. Sometimes it is hard. But it always feels right. Here I am sitting on the floor in my living room. Here is my body. …

11 Sep. There is no Great Red Spot.

Oh, the meticulous conscience of mine. Leave alone actually doing something wrong... Even not responding to the unskillfulness of others in a skillful way is a reason to feel bad now. Thanks a lot, Buddhism! I was embarrassed to sit on Saturday night after a pretty bad day. As if I was not worthy to mediate. …