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Don’t Let Shame Prevent You from Being Authentic
I didn’t like myself much growing up. I can’t pinpoint exactly when this started. Even in early memories, I felt like a tone-deaf banjo player trying to hide within a prestigious orchestra. It never took people long to figure out I didn’t belong. I’d give myself away by asking the wrong questions or saying and […]
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Beliefs
When I tell people about my lack of beliefs, they might consider me a fool or a liar. It could even sound incredibly arrogant. Am I suggesting that rather than having beliefs, I know what is true? That would be an outrageous claim. What Are Beliefs? When I talk about beliefs, I mean conceptual claims […]
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Self, Non-Self, and the Four Kinds of Clinging
In Buddhism, a self is created every time we engage in any of the four kinds of clinging (upadana). This is something we do repeatedly as we go about our day, and it is because of this that we are unable to enjoy any kind of lasting well-being (or as the Buddha put it, we […]
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How to Be Strong
Worry can make it impossible to enjoy life. Whether it is fears about our financial situation, our health, our relationships, or our future, it can all appear so scary and threatening. We yearn for reassurance that everything is going to be OK. We therefore look to thinking to provide the solution. We don’t realize that […]
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Begin Again
Though we live in a world that dreams of ending that always seems about to give in something that will not acknowledge conclusion insists that we forever begin. Brendan Kennelly – Begin I started this website about 16 years ago. I have been neglecting it in recent months, so I didn’t realize it had been […]