from an email I received today (original source unknown): Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little which made him rather frail and, with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him..(Oh, man, this is so bad, it’s good).. a super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis. A good chuckle amidst the all-too-serious world we’ve created. Read more

It’s not often one discovers the meaning of life, but it’s even rarer that one understands it and holds on to that discovery. Rarer yet is that one can put it into words. This afternoon, sitting on my front porch, watching neighbors ride by in pairs on bicycles and overhearing a nearby barbeque, I wondered if I weren’t missing out on the most important things in life, namely those rich relationships with dozens of acquaintances that I imagine most people... Read more

(continued from here…) The man had been taught to avoid the easier path, to seek out difficult tasks and to overcome them. He had rested well and was nourished under the hermit’s care. He thought briefly about his options, filled his lungs deeply with the cool mountain air, and announced that he would take the difficult route. The hermit smiled, knowingly, with what the man took to be admiration for his courage. The way was indeed difficult, involving a steep... Read more

People sometimes say that right and wrong are relative. They say there is no absolute Truth, no one Way, Tao, or Dharma above all others. What is the true meaning of this? What is the false meaning? Once, a man wandering in the forests came upon a hermit. The forest was large and the man was lost and surprised to find another person in this vast expanse. The man knew that if he found a river it would take him... Read more

Anger and frustration What is the difference? In the first 18 years of my life, so the story goes, I never experienced anger. I had many times been frustrated, but never, ever, ever angry. Could this be true? How? The difference between anger and frustration, upon reflection, is simple. Anger arises with the solidification of the Self, the substantial being which has been somehow wronged. Anger speaks from that Self, the wronged Self, telling the world it has been wronged,... Read more

Well, still avoiding working on philosophy papers, I’ve found an interesting note in another email from a favorite special interest group of mine, Harvard University’s Pluralism Project. The headline reads: Study Finds that Teaching World Religions Increases Respect for Constitutional Freedoms. I have noted before (in this blog I believe) that the British-style RE (Religious Education) program makes excellent sense for a multi-cultural society ready to wake up to itself. Such an education would just as much educate conservative Christians,... Read more

I received an email today from Howard Dean. I get emails from him from time to time, and from others (John Conyers from time to time, Russ Feingold emailed me today too, reminding me why he’s a Progressive Patriot). It feels nice that these guys keep in touch. One of the things Howard mentioned today made me think. He said that what he’s fighting for is (something like) “active citizenship” – sorry I don’t have the direct quote, I deleted... Read more

Sometimes, when people find out I’m a ‘philosopher,’ or just get to know me a bit, they unexpectedly ask the strangest things… This is from the head of our ‘Philosophy Society’ at UM: What’s up justin,I was wondering about something? Would you like to give a presentation this coming semester? You’ve been doing some interesting work and I would like to have a glimpse into some. I have also been wondering about a subject that will not leave. I was... Read more

This is partly in response to a conversation with a friend about her life these days. It’s about times in life when we come to ask fairly large questions about ourselves, our paths, our relationships, and so on. It’s probably a lot like a mid-life crisis – only I tend to see it in people much, much younger – in their 20s or 3os. That’s probably a sign that they’re a bit quicker than the poor sobs who wait ’till... Read more

I write this in partial response to a question casually posed to me by Paul Dietrich, the head of the Religious Studies department here at UM. I had been invited to his office to discuss the possibility of my taking on the Buddhism teaching for the department. The current professor and my mentor of sorts, Dr. Alan Sponberg, has requested a two year leave to work to establish an intensive two-year training (both academic and practice-based) program in England in... Read more