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hardie karges
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hardie karges
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hardie karges
Buddhism 496: Life is not a transaction…
You don’t have to make a deal. You can just be, in silence or with sound, no winners or losers, just humans being human, sharing secrets and fears, drinking coffee or beers, no more thrill in a magic pill, this is it. And, if I’ve learned anything from a decade of Buddhism, then that probably sums it up as nicely as I can. In brief: accept life, as it is, without fear nor favor, without sweetness nor savor, just ISness, not bizniz, nor busy-ness, unless that is what’s required for daily salad, with or without dressing.
But it’s the hardest thing sometimes, normalcy, and the universal requirement for sanity in the face of adversity, that is the birthright of our species, articulation and clarification, in the form of language, that which is our most powerful invention in this world. And the Buddha himself knew that simple ISness would be difficult, especially when someone had tasted the thrill of sex, so that we would naturally try to emulate that intense feeling in some way artificial, to forego the foreplay that may or may not yield results.
And so, we have the Buddhist Middle Path, to remind us of our sanity, our normalcy, and our downright decency, when left to our own devices. And that is all that we need, our human-ness, our humanity when the temptations exist to tempt fate and call in late, hoping to be granted a reprieve of our normalcy, in order to shoot for the stars of fame and fashion, not from any innate need or necessity, but just the ego rush of kingliness, when all others are paupers or pawns in the game of life. Sometimes it takes training to resist temptations.
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hardie karges
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hardie karges
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hardie karges
Soft Buddhism, Hard Buddhism, and the Middle Path between…
If there is a convergence of Christianity and Buddhism in the works, as I often think, then I think that will be accomplished by the evolution of ‘soft’ versions of each, which will allow them to mix and mingle almost imperceptibly, which I think is good. Because, even if I have some minor misgivings about Buddhism possibly losing some of its distinctive characteristics, I can assure you that rebirth is not one of them, nor is the vengeful form of ‘hard’ karma that supports it.
In that mindset, the idea is that not only rebirth, but virtually everything, is a result of prior actions, both good and bad, which strictly control present rewards or punishments, to the point that the word ‘karma’, which means ‘actions’ becomes a synonym for the English term ‘fate’. I don’t think that was the Buddha’s intent, but many people have a negative view of the world, and we are all subject to their influence. I prefer a much softer karma, more closely related to the Buddha’s own ‘samma kammanta’, i.e. right actions, as elucidated in the Eightfold Path. Do good actions, and you will receive good things.
And, if that karma of retribution is the ‘hard’ Buddhism which I dislike, then that Eightfold Path, which is the Middle Way between extremes is mainstream Buddhism, which stands like Hegel’s dialectic as a path forward for decision making, which is how I often use it. In this view, ‘Soft’ Buddhism would be the meditation and mindfulness often invoked by those monks walking for Peace and for which many Westerners are poised and ready to adopt whole-heartedly ASAP.
Christianity has a soft mystical side, too, and even a ‘reborn’ side which is preferable to the Hindu reincarnation which often is the source of Buddhist rebirth and which supports a caste and class system which too often follow hereditary priest and warrior affiliations. That is why Buddhism is not popular in India today and good reason to avoid Hinduism like the pandemic. Buddhism and Christianity need fertile ground on which to mix and mingle. That is the Buddhist Middle Way, Hegel notwithstanding…
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hardie karges
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hardie karges
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hardie karges
Monks Walking Long Distances for Symbolism, not Pilgrimage…
I’ve been following the Monks Walking for Peace since they first burst into my vision as they crossed the Mississippi River Bridge into Vicksburg late last year, 2025, into my home state Mississippi. And I’ve followed them especially the last few months, when I decided that I would try to be a part of this movement in whatever way possible. If that means a little bit of travel on my own part, then, I suppose that I can manage that, after 157 countries in the last 50 years. Because what those monks are doing is important, even if it’s not purely transactional.
The symbolism is also important. I don’t think anyone seriously expects to stop all the current wars by a simple walk, no matter how hard or how long. But it can certainly help create some inner peace, even if not world peace. By any and all logic, if we all had inner peace, then world peace would be guaranteed. It doesn’t always work that way, of course, but it’s certainly worth the try. So, Bhikku Pannakara and his fellow monks made the long trek from their home base in Texas to the nation’s capital in Washington, DC, an obviously symbolic destination. But where will they go next?
The monks in Europe first went from Sicily in southernmost Europe to Amsterdam in 2025, then returned the next year, this year, to complete the trek from Amsterdam to northernmost Europe in Nordkapp, Norway. But where will they go next? West to East, from the Atlantic coast to Russia? That would make some sense, symbolically, at least. Originally the Buddhist long walks were pilgrimages, especially to the birthplace of Buddhism in India and Nepal. But now that seems to be too common in a world looking for meaning—and peace. Where next? For the US-based monks, California might be logical—and symbolic. See you in Hollywood, baby…
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hardie karges
streaming consciousness... 
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