NEW EXPERIENCES
Updates on my life, research, and interests

Blog Posts

  • The Five Ways of Putting an End to Anger

    I will slightly modify this as the sutra is slightly longer to take from.

    1. When someone’s actions are not kind but his words are kind, you should not pay attention to his unkind actions, but only be attentive to his kind words. This will help you put an end to your anger.
    2. It is the same, with someone whose words are not kind but whose actions are kind. Do not pay attention to that person’s words. Only be attentive to his actions in order to be able to put an end to your anger.
    3. When you see someone whose actions and words are not kind, but where there is still a little kindness in her heart, do not pay attention to her actions and words, but to the little kindness that is in her heart so that you may put an end to your anger.
    4. Someone whose words and actions are not kind and in whose heart is nothing that can be called kindness, is someone who is undergoing great suffering. Unless he meets a good spiritual friend, there will be no chance or him to transform and go to realms of happiness. Thinking like this, you will be able to open your heart with love and compassion toward that person. You will be able to put an end to your anger and help that person.
    5. When you see someone whose actions are kind, whose words are kind, and whose mind is along kind, give your attention to all his kindness of body, speech, and mind, and do not allow anger or jealousy to overwhelm you. If you do not know how to live happily with someone who is as fresh as that, you cannot be called someone who has wisdom.

  • The Better Way to Live Alone

    Do not pursue the past.
    Do not lose yourself in the future.
    The past no longer is.
    The future has not yet come.

    Looking deeply at life as it is
    in the very here and now,
    the practitioner dwells
    in stability and freedom.

    We must be diligent today.
    To wait till tomorrow is too late.
    Death comes unexpectedly.
    How can we bargain with it?

    The sage calls a person who
    dwells in mindfulness
    night and day
    ‘the one who knows the better way to live alone.’

  • What’s Next?

    I spent a large amount of last year reading a vast amount from sutras, to commentaries, to common spiritual books, to the Bible, and to Krishna Consciousness. In the last year, I also wanted to develop skills in meditation, and that practically turned into “chanting” which some may consider to be a form of meditation, although not what I originally had in mind. The blessing out of this, was that I learned how to dedicate a large amount of my natural state to thinking about spiritual lessons and/or chanting.

    Thinking about my time at the monastery, I would like to practice in my basic fundamentals of mindfulness, not from overly dwelling upon the scripture, the stories, or from chanting, but to experience life for as happy as I choose it to be. Less reading, and less chanting, but more concentrated mindfulness.

    I’ll be taking just a few lines from sutras to guide me, particularly from “Chanting from the Heart” (Thich Nhat Hanh), and to take my mindfulness to the best it can be.

  • Reflections into the New Year

    For the Lunar New Years, I went to the Quan Am Nam Hai Monastery (https://quanamnamhai.org) in Panama City, Florida for about a week, on recommendation from a friend from Krishna Consciousness. I had never practiced within the monastic lifestyle before and I was interested in using this as a meaningful experience to strengthen my path. Most of everything I “knew” were from the sutras or commentaries, and some touristic experiences back in the day when I knew practically nothing about the teachings.

    One of the most important aspects I was looking to get out of this, was accepting peaceful experiences for what they were entirely. Being at the Panama City Beach was certainly peaceful in nature, but I had a sort of feeling like, “That’s it? That’s all there is to it?” If I was not going to be happy at this moment with nothing else wrong happening in my life, then I was not going to be happier in the future.

    And so, I spent my time at the monastery doing the most ordinary activities. I helped with some chores, and I helped set up New Years decorations. I went around and admired the Buddhas and Bodhisattva’s. On some days, I attended the morning meditation and chanting sessions, although I admit, my Vietnamese is lacking (which I hope to improve for my future visits and practice). In many ways, this was the dream.

    I became more acquainted with Master Tran and the other two monastics. I learned to take my mindfulness to another level, from how I walked, to eating food, to hearing the sounds around me. Interestingly, I made a simplistic statement about “knowing of the Four Noble Truths” (which any common person would know from reading), and I think Master Tran picked up on this as a time to truly teach me about its meaning.

    On the last day, Master Tran left me with the blessings and teachings. I learned how to treat my gestures in prayer and meditation. I learned how to rethink the Four Noble Truths as an active part of how I think about my suffering. I learned how to understand how my mind works.

    In today, and this New Years, I become aware that I choose what flows into my mind and actions, not for suppression or rejection, but in manners to help myself and everyone in the world.