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“Making Mobiles” by Karolina Merska: An artist’s manual on how to create beautiful Polish pajaki -
“Hands Up to the Sky” by Michael Franti & Spearhead: A surprisingly upbeat song about acknowledging both loss and the beauty of life -
Coping With Election Grief: While half of Americans are celebrating, the other half are in mourning
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Tag Archives: Buddhism
“Awake at the Bedside: Contemplative Teachings on Palliative and End-of-Life Care” by Koshin Paley Ellison and Matt Weingast
Collection of essays and poetry resonate with patients, families, and helping professionals
“Awake at the Bedside: Contemplative Teachings on Palliative and End-of-Life Care” (Wisdom Publications, 2016) is a collection of poetry and essays edited by Koshin Paley Ellison and Matt Weingast, and graced with a foreword by His Holiness the Karmapa. Inspired … Continue reading
Posted in Lending Insight
Tagged Buddhism, Chronic (medicine), Contemplating Death, Contemplative care, Contemplative Caregiving, Contemplative practice, End-of-life care, Gautama Buddha, Health care provider, Hospice, Koshin Paley Ellison, Matt Weingast, New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, Palliative Care, Zen
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Do All Zen Buddhists Believe in Rebirth?
A look into two theories behind Dogen teachings
One of the primary concepts behind most schools of Zen Buddhism is the idea that there is no real “self” who is born or dies. If one believes in this concept, it seems that the idea of “rebirth” doesn’t fit into … Continue reading
Posted in Cultural Perspectives
Tagged Buddhism, Buddhism and death, Death, Dogen, Gautama Buddha, India, Japan, Rebirth, Reincarnation, Soto Zen, Zen, Zen Buddhism
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Kintsugi: Finding Beauty in Brokenness
Japanese ceramic art tradition highlights history and celebrates imperfection
The 15th century Japanese art of “Kintsugi” (golden joinery) or “Kintsukuroi” (golden repair) involves the mending of shattered ceramics with “urushi” lacquer and powdered metal — most commonly gold. The central philosophy of Kintsugi is that an object is made … Continue reading
“Inside the Now” by Thich Nhat Hanh
A monk's meditations on time
“Inside the Now” is a rare and beautiful book. Written by the Buddhist monk, poet and Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, it is both a personal account of Hanh’s struggle to bring peace and enlightenment to the people of his … Continue reading
Unlocking the Tibetan Practice of Phowa
The Tibetan Buddhist practice of phowa grants the power to find enlightenment in preparing for death
In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the practice of phowa (pronounced po-wa) is a sacred form of meditation designed to prepare your consciousness to transcend your body after death. Like mantram singing, phowa is a lifelong endeavor that can be picked up … Continue reading
Honoring Ancestors in the Buddhist Culture: Japan’s Obon Festival
An annual Japanese Buddhist festival that honors the spirits of beloved family members who have died
Every year, Buddhists in Japan celebrate the custom of the Obon (or Bon) festival as a way to honor the spirits of beloved family members who have died. This Buddhist custom has influences from Confucianism as well. So how do … Continue reading
