Category Archives: Compassion
When Hate Came to Town
I had an opportunity to contemplate hate this past fall, as the nationally known hate group, the Westboro Baptist Church, came to town. They picketed at Montana State University and at Bozeman High School. They were at the high school … Continue reading
Bodhisattvas
Sometimes, the bodhisattvas live among us, in our own time. I am fortunate to remember the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s actions, and deeply saddened to have a vivid memory of day he was shot. Here’s a … Continue reading
Compassion, Round 2
I’ve been thinking more about compassion. One of those times when I was bummed about senior Zen students acting like jerks, I asked my Zen teacher, “Why are some of the senior people who’ve been practicing for years so lacking … Continue reading
Compassionate Enough?
Sometimes I get discouraged when I see senior, long-term practitioners of Zen who seem consistently and unapologetically curt and abrupt in their response to others. If Buddhism is essentially the religion of compassion and kindness, as the Dalai Lama claims, … Continue reading
Compassion in Action, Orphanages
Compassion is in some ways the bottom line in Buddhism (although see my post on Mother’s Day regarding my vacillation on what the most fundamental issues in Zen practice are). It’s nice to have a meditation practice and to go … Continue reading
Road Trip
I’ve been gone on vacation during my kids’ spring break. We had a lot of adventures, including many that were not planned and that involved cars. Cars breaking down, cars being rented at the last minute, cars being bought at … Continue reading
Big Sky Zen Practice 