That awakening takes awareness, stillness, calm \u2013 in a word: meditation. Meditation is a wonderful discipline \u2013 but it is just that a discipline<\/span>. In my own life I too easily fall away from it \u2013 when life is too turbulent meditation becomes a chore (too many thoughts racing through my mind), and when life is tranquil and beautiful, as it is now in Montana, meditation seems unnecessary.<\/span> It seems that I meditate most, and best in those in-between<\/span> times. But, as with most things in life, the benefits will never really come up from the occasional sitting or even short period of sustained practice. It needs to be a part of life, built in to the very fabric of my being.<\/p>\n Sigh\u2026 So while there are a million and one things I could be doing now, I\u2019ll stop, sit, and meditate for a bit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In Buddhism, and increasingly in popular discussion, we speak of karma bringing us someplace or being the cause of certain events in our lives. However, very important in Buddhism (and any other religious tradition) is the place of free will or choice. Our karma may nudge us this way or that, like a negative old […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":118,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3143\/2640711248_8855f58146.jpg?v=0\")
<\/a>For an excellent post on our visit to see Barack Obama last week, see Patia\u2019s blog<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_fyeYpxfdjuI\/SHkUsuM6tUI\/AAAAAAAAAIk\/Jwk25j0ZT1s\/s320\/Neighbor+Fawns.JPG\")
<\/a>My neighbor\u2019s kids, safe and sound after that little fire<\/a> across the street.<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/tracker\/7907151-993541212150721798?l=americanbuddhist.blogspot.com\")