Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Meditation: It's not what you think
By Kimball C. Pier
Special to the Sun
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. — Thinking is what the mind likes to do best. It likes to tell you every single thought it has, an endless stream of chatter that names everything and describes everything even when it's obvious. It likes to judge everything, plan everything; to worry about what has already happened and what might happen in the future. But it seems to enjoy criticizing the best. And we could all use a little medicine for that chronic form of dis-ease.
Noah Levine, Buddhist teacher, speaker and author is coming to Truckee for the second time to teach us about releasing the addiction to the mind. For Goodness Sake in collaboration Sierra Agape Center will bring Noah back for a Dharma talk, “Breaking the Addiction to the Mind,” Friday evening, Feb. 10 followed by a full day workshop entitled, “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness,” Saturday, Feb. 11.
Dharma, put simply, means following the laws of nature, living according to moral precepts flowing out of nature in order to live in harmony and balance with nature and all sentient beings.
Noah Levine did not fit what I thought of as a practicing Buddhist. My mind fixated on an image of an older man with white hair (or none at all), wearing saffron colored robes and speaking with an accent. So when I first laid eyes on Noah, I was a little stunned. And … my mind began to think again. “He has tattoos. How can he be a Buddhist and have all those tattoos?” I told my mind to be quiet as I must to do at least 500 times every time I sit to meditate.
More: http://www.sierrasun.com/article/20120207/COMMUNITY/120209929/1035
Special to the Sun
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. — Thinking is what the mind likes to do best. It likes to tell you every single thought it has, an endless stream of chatter that names everything and describes everything even when it's obvious. It likes to judge everything, plan everything; to worry about what has already happened and what might happen in the future. But it seems to enjoy criticizing the best. And we could all use a little medicine for that chronic form of dis-ease.
Noah Levine, Buddhist teacher, speaker and author is coming to Truckee for the second time to teach us about releasing the addiction to the mind. For Goodness Sake in collaboration Sierra Agape Center will bring Noah back for a Dharma talk, “Breaking the Addiction to the Mind,” Friday evening, Feb. 10 followed by a full day workshop entitled, “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness,” Saturday, Feb. 11.
Dharma, put simply, means following the laws of nature, living according to moral precepts flowing out of nature in order to live in harmony and balance with nature and all sentient beings.
Noah Levine did not fit what I thought of as a practicing Buddhist. My mind fixated on an image of an older man with white hair (or none at all), wearing saffron colored robes and speaking with an accent. So when I first laid eyes on Noah, I was a little stunned. And … my mind began to think again. “He has tattoos. How can he be a Buddhist and have all those tattoos?” I told my mind to be quiet as I must to do at least 500 times every time I sit to meditate.
More: http://www.sierrasun.com/article/20120207/COMMUNITY/120209929/1035
5 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
That's the reporters prejudicial view of what a Buddhist ought to look like and to my knowledge there is nothing said in any text about tattoos. I would add that this reporter seems to have a very active mind if he needs to tell himself to be quite 500 times! 
You got me! I had just come from Help & Meta and my inborn sense of exasperation was quite active! 
