Six String Buddha

Karma affects every one of us and our collective karma affects the entire planet as a whole. Cause & effect is the law that determines the nature of the karma we create. The lyrics to Rush’s epic song “Natural Science” from their album “Permanent Waves” provide a perfect blueprint to explain these two concepts.

It’s no stretch to say that Rush’s drummer, the late Neil Peart, was certainly a modern day Aristotle, when it came t...

Through the years, there have been many different schools of buddhist thought, but they’ve all built upon the original teachings of Shakyamuni and passed down what they’d learned to the next generation. They did this by following in the footsteps of their mentor and honored them by living the teachings with integrity, setting an example and then passing the torch to the next disciples, keeping the flame of the dharma burning bright...

Looking at the world through the myriad of media sources we have at our disposal, it seems as though there’s no shortage of suffering and indifference. Between the pandemic affecting all of us, to the racial injustices, political discord, threat of war and the surmounting environmental issues, it seems logical that we’d distract ourselves from all of it, with our devices and the never ending streams of mindless entertainment we’ve ...

Of all the terms most commonly associated with buddhism and eastern philosophy, the word “enlightenment” is likely the first one you think of, any time buddhism or meditation is the topic of conversation. It’s also the one that’s often misunderstood, misinterpreted, or thought of as some superhuman state that requires years of deep meditation and drastic lifestyle changes to attain. It couldn’t possibly be something the average per...

Whether you’re a Buddhist, a Christian, Jewish, or Jedi, or even if you don’t identify with any preconceived ideology, if you’re human, there’s one thing we all have in common, without exception. That is, none of us are able to go through life without eventually encountering obstacles and adversity. No matter how rich or poor, or how well-educated you may be, there’s no such thing as a perfect life, devoid of mishaps. Even Luke Sky...

By definition, practicing means doing something repeatedly, to develop skill, proficiency, or competence, in order to become “better” at it. It involves spending time, implicitly focused on a particular area of interest, to rise above the surface level and master something; then perhaps eventually using your knowledge, talent or skill to help or inspire others to strive for excellence and develop themselves in that area as well.

A...

It’s not a stretch to say The Beatles were pioneers on many levels, from music to pop culture and their experiences with meditation and eastern wisdom undoubtedly influenced several of their songs. Of all of them, the song that planted a spiritual seed in me was “Tomorrow Never Knows” as the lyrics were inspired by John Lennon’s own fascination with universal consciousness.

Although you may be familiar with what meditation is, wit...