There once was a monk who taught exclusively by way of flatulence. “Master, what do I do when the mind overwhelms the heart?,” one of his students would ask him, and a toot would be the reply. “Master, why does the mind create suffering?” Toot-toot. “Master, what do I do when the longing for sex… Continue reading Zen bootyism and the case of the disappearing cheese
Tag: Wisdom
What is commitment?
My relationship with rock climbing
Ducking under a volume, leaning back against scant holds in order to make the most of my weight. A swivel of my hips, a crank of my calf and thigh muscles to push me up the wall, and I leap higher and catch hold of a small crimp. Again shifting weight, shuffling feet. With a… Continue reading My relationship with rock climbing
Shrugging at collapse: the wisdom of “A Serious Man”
When I was first recommended the Coen brothers’ 2009 film “A Serious Man,” I had just been through a breakup with the woman I thought I would marry. I felt that my life was falling apart around me, and in my pain, I was longing for answers. Michael Stuhlbarg as Larry Gopnik The film’s protagonist,… Continue reading Shrugging at collapse: the wisdom of “A Serious Man”
What we owe one another: a spiritual perspective
This piece was written for and placed third in the Santa Fe Reporter's 2021 nonfiction contest, in response to the prompt "What do we owe one another?" The Reporter's publication of the piece can be found here. I believe that happiness—and not just happiness but profound, unabating bliss—is our birthright. Let me explain. When we… Continue reading What we owe one another: a spiritual perspective
Jackson Holzberg Buckley 