Mid America Dharma News

As many scholars have demonstrated, race is a social construct created by humans and used, especially in the United States, to justify unfair and often heinous actions toward other human beings.  From a Buddhist perspective, race like so many human-made

“We don’t know.”  “We don’t have enough information.”  “We’re not sure what to do right now.” We hear these words a lot in today’s news. It’s ironic that in an age when we’re accustomed to having all our questions answered

When I was asked to submit an article for this newsletter, something that might help to promote a retreat, I experienced a lot of resistance to the idea. A thought arose “Do you really think we’re going to be able

Do your days follow an organic rhythm, or does your life seem to resemble a schedule more than a life? Technological gadgets, continually getting faster and more accessible, can affect the tempo of our daily life – do you find

What follower of the Buddha hasn’t longed for “sudden enlightenment?”  Who hasn’t wished to be awakened by an all-illuminating flash of wisdom, to see all defilements fall away and experience complete cessation of suffering?

Many of the Buddha’s discourses are directed at monastics, who renounce conventional life and totally devote themselves to mental training. Such commitment is admirable, but very difficult to make for persons with responsibilities as a householder: earning a livelihood, providing necessities of life for oneself and one’s dependents, and fulfilling the obligations of living in society.