A friend of a friend says ... I am a Buddhist and follow the teachings of the Buddha who has said the following: "We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world.  What we think, we become.  Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world. Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." Placing ultimate importance on "subjective" world is a fundamental mistake that all mystics make.  It is a mistake that is elevated to central dogma in Buddhism. Gurus who pretend to guide us to ultimate reality don't even admit the reality of their own noses. Buddhist writers go to great lengths to point out the obvious fact that everything that seems to be going on in the world outside is actually happening in the "mind". Therefore, study of the "mind" is supremely important, mastery of mental pro

  Mingyur Rinpoche (YMR) Latest reincarnation of Yongey Mingyur Dorje (This is a "flower", watch the "flower", you are feeling mindful ...) "... as a Buddhist, you don't think of Buddhism as a religion. You don't think of a type of science ..." Everybody wants to claim the mantle of Science so we should not be surprised that YMR's best known book "The Joy of Living" is long on Scientific references and gives wide birth to the elephant in the room, his claim to be a reincarnation of an illustrious teacher. To a skeptical reader such as myself, it is also remarkable that YMR has taken over the family business: both is father and grandfather were well regarded Buddhist monks. As a child of the 60's I'm familiar with the way ancient Eastern religions were cleaned up for Western consumption. I'm also familiar with the shock one gets when one sees these ancient superstitions on their home ground, whether it is Taoi

"Your Inner Fish"  is an award-winning tour through the origins of life on Earth.  " The Universe Within " is a kind of sequel by the same author. It's all written in the dumbed down style popular for an audience who squeaked through High School but acquired an interest in Science later in life, too late to really speak the language. Even so, it's interesting stuff, mainly because it's full of insight into why the author, Neil Shubin , has devoted his life to the study of little teeth and shark-embryos. These books are shot through with a sense of awe and discovery. They give the reader a chance to re-discover the most important insight in all of Science -- the deep and pervasive unity of life on Earth. This was the fundamental insight of Darwin. Following quickly on its heels is the best question ever asked by a Scientist: Why are there so many similarities? Of course, the answer, still controversial in the dark caverns of American fundamentalism, i

"Even as I was watching "Cloud Atlas" the first time, I knew I would need to see it again. Now that I've seen it the second time, I know I'd like to see it a third time — but I no longer believe repeated viewings will solve anything. To borrow Churchill's description of Russia, "it is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma." It fascinates in the moment. It's getting from one moment to the next that is tricky." I watched the movie  four times  and i think I understand it pretty well now. In fact, I don't think the confusion is totally deliberate -- the keyword is  ambitious  and it doesn't work on every level. It tells a new  kind  of story in a  new way . It demands attention for almost 3 hours from an audience barely able to follow the plot of a 22 minute sit-com. What's worse, it demands to be  studied  (how many other 3 hr movies does everybody say they watched more than once?) But this is not a movie review b