Crossing Nebraska

It’s come to my attention that some Buddhists are beginning to lament what they call “woke Buddhism” taking over Western Zen centers and Buddhist communities. This is a rather ironic development, of course, given that awakening is so central to the Buddhist religion. How can people strive to be awakened while at the same time lamenting wokeness? Perhaps it behooves us to explore some definitions. The word buddha is derived from bodhi , which means awakened , having perfect wisdom, enlightened, if you will. One who is completely awakened is called a buddha. When we speak of the Buddha, however, we are referring to the historical Shakyamuni Buddha. Venn diagram showing the relationship of woke and awakened Being awakened means somewhat different things in different sects of Buddhism. However, in Mahayana Buddhism—the practice of which is more widespread in China, Japan, Korea, and Tibet— bodhi is more specifically defined as follows: “[It] is mainly understood as wisdom based on ...

I was walking down the road from where we live and saw it for the umpteenth time: the “Just Be Kind” sign somebody had placed by their mailbox. Perhaps you’ve seen the version I’m referring to. It seems to be the product of a movement of some sort, as I’ve seen numerous copies of it around town and online. It would seem that those who display such signs believe they’ve unlocked the secret to making the world a better place. From my point of view, though, seeing it again reminded me that I’ve long wanted to dig below the surface of this ostensibly inspirational bromide in order to point out its smug vapidity as well as the potential for it to perpetuate violence. This "Just Be Kind" sign seems to be a thing Just being kind does nothing to address structural racism. In other words, it doesn’t address inequities in educational opportunities and health outcomes resulting from what neighborhood you’re born into. It doesn’t address disparities in wealth accumulation based on where ...

In Karma of a Nation , I spoke of karma in terms of created patterns of action that play out over time and the positive or negative impacts that might result. I pointed out some of the different ways people think about karma: as a cosmic balance sheet, for instance, or as the result of action done with intention, as simple cause and effect, or as a determiner of one’s subsequent rebirth. It occurred to me the other day, however, that perhaps the best way to understand karma is by paying attention to what we can see with our very own eyes—literally, in real time. New neighbors are engaging in a long process of moving in next door. We haven’t met them, but I have met their dog—a beautiful blonde Labrador Retriever. I got out of the car after arriving home and there he (or she) was. I petted them for a bit, told them how pretty they were, of course, and then led them back to the deck of the house from whence they came. I thought we had a great interaction, and I was feeling pleased that...

Let me begin by saying that this post is likely not about what you might think it will be about given the title. I’m not going to discuss the world’s predilection for geriatric and patriarchal leadership—although that is a subject worthy of exploration. I’m also not going to discuss how some older people feel as though they’ve become invisible in our youth and beauty-oriented culture—although that’s also a worthwhile topic of exploration. Strangely, both realities are true. We have many aging and aged people in power, and they’re keeping the world stuck in ways of being that no longer serve us. We also tend to eschew the true wisdom of the elders in favor of what is young and energetic, and exciting. However, what I really want to talk about in this post is how aging can give us power to serve this world in meaningful and productive ways rather than self-serving and destructive ones. The author and his spouse at a vigil for Alex Pretti. Photo by Hayley Jarman For the most part, I came ...

  The ICE murder of Renee Good in Minneapolis this week has served up a big batch of the toxic stew that this current administration is known for. No, the investigation is not wrapped up and, given our country’s history of letting agents of the state kill our fellow citizens simply by claiming they “feared for their lives,” I’m not confident that justice will ever be served. And yet, video clearly shows the ICE agent stealthily maneuvering into position in front of Good’s car—the position he will no doubt claim is such a dangerous and fearsome place to be—and then fire three rounds directly at her head and upper body. A recording exists of an ICE agent referring to Good as a “fucking bitch” while she’s bleeding and dying. A witness who claimed to be a medical doctor also reports that he was kept from giving aid to Good during what turned out to be her final moments alive. Reportedly she died at a hospital after critical first aid was delayed. This absolute disregard for human lif...