tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34316154441100039572011-10-06T12:26:49.986-03:00Random reflections on Buddhist views, meditations, conduct, and the contemporary scene, along with the occasional rant about materialism and the dark age.Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.comBlogger251100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-87495692973374783322011-01-08T10:40:00.007-04:002011-01-08T11:58:12.380-04:00

As you can easily see, I've been neglecting this blog. In part it's because I found it difficult to post interesting content on a regular basis. However, I do have an excuse. I've been working on another book that you might find interesting. The book is called The Practice of Contemplative Photography: Seeing the World with Fresh Eyes, which I've written with my good friend Michael Wood.<!--

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-28696547252077578702008-05-26T16:21:00.024-03:002008-05-26T16:55:12.147-03:00

Recollecting the Gyalwang Karmapa’s four days in New York, my strongest images are of his presence: his warmth, his confidence, and most of all, his compete lack of fabrication or contrivance. That said, strong images from his teachings also spring to mind. In his first talk he spoke very personally about how we can deal with the difficulties we must face in life:A lot has happened to me in this

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-91647113073686706962008-05-16T16:01:00.002-03:002008-05-16T16:08:33.064-03:00

There is a very nice story in the Times today about the arrival of the Seventeenth Gyalwang Karmapa in New York. I had the good fortune to attend the early-morning, traditional tea and rice welcoming ceremony for him at the NY Shambhala Center, because I have been working on the finances for his visit.After the chants and the offerings of the tea and rice, the Karmapa spoke briefly. His words

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-32047996470880717992008-05-07T09:50:00.002-03:002008-05-07T09:54:10.953-03:00

What are you thinking about? Watch the video.

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-41824954839855611522008-05-06T12:28:00.002-03:002008-05-07T09:50:01.081-03:00

To understand bondage and liberation, we need to see how we are bound by our thoughts. This is not just the discursive thoughts, but our projections, which are the objects of the discursive thoughts, and the emotions that link the two. This whole system of thoughts is bondage.When we don’t recognize the nature of these phenomena, we are bound by them. We are taken in by the illusion or mirage,

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-50461989505094141802008-05-05T10:29:00.002-03:002008-05-05T10:31:52.183-03:00

The Lord of Yogis Milarepa sang in “The Six Questions”:Mind has even more projections than there are dust motes in the sun;Is there an accomplished yogi here or a yoginiWho sees the appearance of things laid bare in the very bed where it lies?

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-47325841647064450032008-05-04T10:18:00.000-03:002008-05-04T10:19:02.099-03:00

These concepts—the objects of that endless monologue—are as vague and general as drawings on water. They don’t come from anywhere and they don’t go anywhere. Suddenly it seems like a friend is present. In the next moment, it is a pickup truck or a presidential candidate. As obscure as they are, we are trapped by them like a deer trapped by headlights.How are these concepts different from the

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-32273005024713619252008-05-03T12:42:00.003-03:002008-05-04T09:08:00.357-03:00

What is thinking? Most of us tend to identify thinking as discursive activity: an ongoing internal monologue along with its labeling. We identify with the monloguer and consider the object of our discursiveness as “other.” These are the main features of our sense of duality, the split between “this” and “that.” Emotions link the two, and confirm the sense of separation.But what are the objects of

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-31981592737051880172008-05-02T14:57:00.001-03:002008-05-02T14:58:32.950-03:00

When you think about something or someone, the object seems to actually be present. Whether it is a past thing or a future thing, something in the room or far away, an animal, a vegetable, or a mineral, it seems to be right there. Usually it seems to be in front. Sometimes it seems to be in some other direction.When you think about something else, the first thing disappears and the new thing

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-8144836325507595812008-04-21T13:12:00.000-03:002008-04-21T13:13:47.353-03:00

Last summer, when our 1995 Lexus developed an unhealthy affection for the repair shop, I started looking for something nice to replace it with. We finally got our new (to us) car at the end of last month. I had assumed that we would be in for the usual dharmic reminders that such major purchases provide: that an actual car never lives up to the anticipated dream-car; that what is new, fresh, and

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-74275205378603881982008-04-04T16:24:00.001-03:002008-04-04T16:26:23.453-03:00

Today is April 4th, 2008, the twenty-first anniversary of the parinirvana of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Twenty-one is the age when we are definitely considered to be adults in Western society, but have we students of Trungpa Rinpoche reached adulthood yet? I wonder.I always imagined that there would be some clear experience of having arrived at spiritual maturity, a Buddhist bar mitzvah, or some

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-40628859838182849822008-03-29T09:44:00.002-03:002008-03-29T09:48:29.378-03:00

They say that meditating without studying the view is like trying to travel to a distant city with no eyes, no guide, no map; and studying the dharma without practicing meditation is like trying to make that journey without arms and legs. We need both study and practice to make the journey to enlightenment. That's basic to the logic of the path.I wrote Contemplating Reality to help practitioners

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-4592144891139784862008-03-23T09:56:00.008-03:002008-03-23T10:45:08.974-03:00

The first visit of the Seventeenth Gyalwang Karmapa to the United States was officially announced this week by my guru and friend, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. His announcement, and the tentative schedule of the tour, is available here.In 1974, at the invitation of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the Sixteenth Gyalwang Karmapa hoisted the victory banner of the Tibetan Buddhist teachings on Western soil.

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-47928917940188249362008-03-14T19:42:00.001-03:002008-03-14T19:44:35.423-03:00

Other than the exceedingly rare story of someone’s humble and virtuous actions, one of the few enjoyable experiences reading the daily newspaper is seeing the mighty get their comeuppance—obviously the Sheriff of Wall Street’s self destruction, and Lord Black of Crossharbour’s arrival at a Florida prison, come to mind. Righteousness is a tasty emotional treat, but an unhealthy diet. Less

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-20959112870349207682008-02-27T09:39:00.005-04:002008-02-27T09:45:36.278-04:00

The old DuPont slogan, “Better living through chemistry,” expressed the Twentieth Century’s faith in material progress. At one point, Prozac and other new antidepressant drugs seemed to be the crowning fulfillment of this dream. Why be depressed when you can take this little pill and feel better? I could tell that things were getting a little out of hand when I discovered that my sister was

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-39302644611025970472008-02-18T14:47:00.007-04:002008-02-23T14:51:37.440-04:00

There is a nice article by the late Ajahn Chah in the current issue of Buddhadharma (Spring 2008) that reminds me of the famous Kadampa slogan, “All dharma agrees at one point.” Whether we call it mahamudra, ordinary mind, buddha nature, dharmadhatu, mind itself, prajnaparamita, empty cognizance, rigpa, or wisdom, that point is the heart-essence of all dharma paths, the guide to the ultimate

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-63249626095801940182008-02-10T13:46:00.000-04:002008-02-10T14:04:01.141-04:00

If you would like some profound insights into the meaning of the Middle Way, Tibetan political history, and the challenges of the traditional East meeting the modern West, look into the life and teachings of the remarkable Gendun Chopel.Donald S. Lopez Jr.’s The Madman’s Middle Way includes a fascinating biographical sketch, an elegant translation of Chopel’s Adornment for Nagarjuna’s Thought,

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-28582826957132728552008-02-07T09:15:00.000-04:002008-02-07T09:19:21.108-04:00

Best wishes to all of you, as Buddhists around the world celebrate Losar, the Tibetan New Year, the Chinese New Year, the Lunar New Year, and Shambhala Day (as it is known in the Shambhala community).Trungpa Rinpoche, founder of Shambhala, made a point of wishing people a cheerful New Year, and cheerful birthday, instead of a happy New Year and happy birthday. He explained that happiness depends

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-23160811426193291872008-02-03T10:23:00.000-04:002008-02-03T10:29:20.585-04:00

There’s an article about innovation in today’s New York Times that offers parallels to the process of progressing along the Buddhist path and provides important lessons for practitioners. It’s called “Eureka! It Really Takes Years of Hard Work.”The point of the article is that the popular myth that innovation depends on “eureka moments,” great breakthroughs, is a fiction. Innovation depends on a

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-76726104329516935412008-01-29T09:40:00.000-04:002008-01-29T09:45:31.772-04:00

I would love to be a peaceful bodhisattva who has completely seen through delusion and overcome all conflicting emotions, but I have to admit I am not that guy. Among other things, I am irked by Buddhist fundamentalism. For example, yesterday evening, I read this in an article by a well-known Buddhist teacher: “Read up on what the Buddha had to say on the topic and don’t settle for books that put

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-36080096775530613802008-01-24T17:40:00.000-04:002008-01-24T17:42:57.633-04:00

“Why Do Some People Resist Science?” illuminates the way we acquire many of our beliefs (see the previous post). It also puts forward one belief that needs to be challenged, which is that, “The strong intuitive pull of dualism makes it difficult for people to accept what Francis Crick called ‘the astonishing hypothesis.’ Dualism is mistaken — mental life emerges from physical processes.”I have no

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-25327530167653940342008-01-18T19:31:00.000-04:002008-01-20T20:03:53.394-04:00

Ask yourself, How do you know that the earth revolves around the sun? That George Washington was the first president of the United States? That objects persist over time?Well, everyone knows these things! Well then, you need to ask, How do they know?In Buddhism knowing is a big deal, because ignorance is the root of samsara: the cause of all our suffering. Ignorance includes both not knowing,

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-59187800856776341492008-01-11T14:57:00.000-04:002008-01-18T19:48:39.790-04:00

Buddhists talk a lot about suffering and dissatisfaction. These are the most common translations for the Sanskrit term duhkha, and the Pali dukkha. When the Buddha taught the first noble truth, he wasn’t saying that life is one uninterrupted agony. Clearly, that is not what most of us experience.One of the possible etymologies for these terms provides a helpful insight into the Buddha’s intention

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-69122370728600050272008-01-04T10:21:00.000-04:002008-01-18T19:37:00.668-04:00

My good friend, Barry Boyce, suggested reading Glenn Wallis’ new book, Basic Teachings of the Buddha over the holidays. Barry is an insightful, literate man, and senior editor and staff writer for the magazines Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma. I take his suggestions seriously.Despite Barry’s gusto, I approached the task with little enthusiasm. My previous attempts to read the sutras did not go

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3431615444110003957.post-962734963922495642008-01-01T11:00:00.000-04:002008-01-19T09:17:04.223-04:00

All Buddhist traditions present two realities. Sometimes these are called samsara and nirvana. Sometimes they are called bondage and liberation. Sometimes they are referred to as suffering and its cessation.Whatever they’re called, the problem is always the same: how do we get from point A to point B? How do we get from the crappy, uptight, confused reality that we currently experience, to the

Andy Karrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17143574199653932191noreply@blogger.com4