July 10
Review: The Myth of Freedom and the Way of Meditation
I purchased this book while perusing a Borders that was going out of business, and strictly because of the title. As a therapist and a practitioner of Eastern philosophy I am aware of how although we believe we have the freedom of choice, quite often our choices are made out of our conditioning. I fully expected this book to reaffirm that thinking, and to discuss how to overcome it. The book met and surpassed this expectation.
Some books create a peace in me by just catching a glimpse of them. This is the case of this book. From the time of my purchase it served as a meditation bell. It …
July 5
Be With Me Or Let Me Be
July 3
Review: Island
I finished “Island” by Aldous Huxley last night. It is a novel about a utopian society, lost (at least temporarily) to the roar of capitalism and consumerism, that a cynical, shame ridden English protagonist finds himself shipwrecked on. The story follows his introduction to this society, his education about it, and his perceptions while he works both sides of the beginning of a conflict about to come to fruition.
I suppose at this point I have to modify my general statement that I don’t read fiction, to I read fiction about philosophy or therapy or spirituality about 20% of my reading time (I notice in the last two years I’ve read …
July 1
July, Thoughts…
31. As people alive today, we must consider future generations: a clean environment is a human right like any other. It is therefore part of our responsibility toward others to ensure that the world we pass on is as healthy, if not healthier, than we found it. The Dalai Lama
30. You must give up the life you planned in order to have the life that is waiting for you. Joseph Campbell
29. No man is free who cannot command himself. Pythagoras
28. In Buddhism there is no judgement; just, the world is so constructed that that we bring joy or trouble upon ourselves. David Brazier, Zen Therapy
27. Where …
June 30
June, Thoughts….
30. Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting. Sun Tzu
29. When deeds and words are in accord, the whole world is transformed. Chuang Tzu
28. We take refuge in pride because we are afraid to tell the truth to ourselves. Kakuzo Okakura
Retrieved from http://www.internalkungfu.co.uk/Tao%20Zen%20Quotes.htm
27. Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else. Judy Garland
26. By sinking its roots deeply into the earth, by accepting the rain that flows toward it, by reaching out to the sun, the tree perfects its character and becomes great. Deng Ming-Dao
25. You can easily judge the character of a …
June 22
Review: Exploring Happiness: From Aristotle To Brain Science
A very close friend sent this book to me after we had some discourse regarding our perceptions and opinions of happiness. The title is more telling than you might think, as the book takes an encompassing view of what has been written about happiness through the ages.
The book is very well written in philosophical prose. For those uninitiated in true philosophical writing, this book might seem droll or overly complicated. Philosophical writing begins with the definition of what is being discussed, and works at laying the argument out in a precise fashion. The end of one paragraph lays the groundwork for the next, and the chapters follow suit. The …
June 20
Substance Use: Escaping or Embracing Life?
This is my latest post for Psychology Today. It is part of their “Hot Topic” on Addiction. You can access the topic with the link above, or my post here.
