The Function of Meditation
A couple years ago I started coming across references to meditation in a variety of sources. They all suggested that sitting down and trying to focus on one thing for a while would reduce stress, improve health, and make you a happier person. So I researched meditation a bit more and gave it a try. [...]
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The Eightfold Path
This article is not an explanation of the eightfold path of Buddhism. I have never been satisfied with the eightfold path; it feels like a list of tips rather than a path. This doesn’t seem like the best format to convince students of its effectiveness. This article is my interpretation of the actual path that [...]
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The Desperation Cycle
Many Eastern philosophies advocate the reduction of desire in order to prevent suffering. The logic goes that if you desire little, there will be much less to disappoint you, and this is true. If you care about nothing, not even your own life, then what could possibly upset you? But by the same token, what [...]
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The Psychology of Insecurity
Feelings of insecurity arise from a lack of control and confidence. When you have control of a situation, you aren’t so likely to get upset. If someone is giving you a hard time, you can just utilize your power to deal with it. But if you are relying on the cooperation of others in a [...]
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Organic Learning
Reflections The beauty of motivated learning. Photo courtesy of atomicjeep Education is becoming an increasingly large burden in the life of modern men. Many of us now toil away the prime years of our lives in response to the pressures created by the combination of the exponential expansion of human knowledge and a “red queen” [...]
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The Myth of Pure Evil
Three Wise Monkeys What the monkeys knew about evil. Photo courtesy of Shenghung Lin In The Happiness Hypothesis, Jonathan Haidt discusses a phenomenon that he calls “the myth of pure evil”, which refers to psychological tendency for people to imagine that they are purely good (or right) and others are purely evil (or wrong). This [...]
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Community
Beach People The significance of community. Photo courtesy of Shenghung Lin I never used to think much about communities because I thought that having a girlfriend and a bunch of good friends was all that mattered. But recently I have realized that communities provide the foundation for good relationships and fill a special role in [...]
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Demystifying Meditation
Meditation A rational approach to meditation. Photo courtesy of Gurumustuk Singh I have heard a lot of good things about meditation, but the information always seems muddled. I once scoured the bookstore looking for the most scientific book on meditation I could find and I ended up with one called “How to Meditate” by Lawrence [...]
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Mindfulness and Transcendence
Zen An analysis of Zen concepts. Photo courtesy of Rickydavid A large part of our subjective experience is based on the way we perceive things to be. A rainy day can be a downer if all you think about is how it cancelled your soccer match, but it can also be a pleasure if you [...]
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Being Too Logical
Romance Romance and logic don’t mix well. Photo courtesy of shutupyourface I love being logical and analyzing everything. I have an intense passion for understanding everything and that is something that is never going to change. Unfortunately this passion sometimes has the tendency to leak into places where it wasn’t meant to be. I want [...]
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