Celebrating Big Inclusion – Musings in Missoula
I have been a Buddhist and practicing meditator for over 20 years now. More than half of my life here in Missoula. For much of that time, the metta sutta and metta-bhavana (cultivation of loving-kindness) have been at or near the heart of my practice. Other practices, such as mindfulness of breathing, can be a wonderful adjunct to this central practice. For you, or other meditators, mindfulness might be the central practice.
Happy Stoic, Happy Buddha
One of the greatest parts of studying ancient thought is finding that many traditions, separated by centuries and sometimes oceans and mountains, could come to similar conclusions on important matters. Both Stoicism in ancient Greece and Buddhism in India and beyond had many similar ideas about finding happiness. This fact, along with the universal power of science, has helped shape me into a philosophical naturalist, meaning that I see truths
When it’s Facts vs Experience
Growing up, I had a number of ideal dream jobs. For a while I wanted to be a farmer. Then I switched to banker. In high school I gravitated toward business and accounting. And finally, I moved into philosophy and religious studies. Along the way, I lost interest and faith in Christianity and religious experience in general. I felt that too much faith and religious testimony and experience was holding
The Science of Mindfulness, Revisited – Musings from Missoula, MT
Our counselors in Missoula, Butte, and Kalispell find themselves intrigued by the science, philosophy, and psychology of happiness. Using parallel logic, I know that when I was much younger, I had some serious depression at times, and wondered at the time if I would ever be happy. I even joked to myself that my 20s were my midlife crisis. It was a tough several years. But I did emerge from
Every little bit of Mindfulness – Musings from Missoula, MT
A little over 20 years ago, I found myself getting involved in mindfulness practice at exactly the same time I dove into philosophy studies at UM in Missoula, MT, specifically into ethics. Growing up as a Catholic, then atheist, then Buddhist, I struggled a lot with questions of morality. When I was 19, I read Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment and found myself entranced by the moral questions raised in the
Raising a Joyful Child – Musings in Missoula, MT
Any time I write about parenting, I feel the need to clarify that I’m by no means an expert on the topic. I’m a long-time meditator and student of philosophy and religion. I’ve managed to earn a Ph.D. in religious ethics and teach religious studies, philosophy, and ethics at a handful of colleges and universities around the world. But when it comes to parenting, I’m very much a novice and