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    hardie karges 2:06 am on August 23, 2026 Permalink | Reply
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     Buddhism Unchained: Don’t Follow the Money  

    Foĺlow the dharma, not drachma, dirham, denaro, or dinero; rupiah, rubles, or renminbi. Because money is not important. What is in your heart is important. That should go without saying, of course, but it often needs to be repeated for best effect. It’s often said that free enterprise and Christian Protestantism go hand in hand, but it’s hard to imagine what kind of economic system would be inspired by Buddhism. Communism, maybe? No, I don’t think so, certainly not the authoritarian kind. Because Buddhist monks are the freest people in the world, even if they are sometimes confined to their home temple, or at least ONE temple, especially during the wassa rains retreat.  

     But, other than that, they are pretty much free to come and go. And they do, subject to availability, of course. Because monks are in high demand, given the bragging rights that often go with numbers. But that only applies to the men, of course. Nuns and laywomen often have a much tougher time in the temples, often for reasons that can only be explained by patriarchy and general male orneriness. I hope that’s changing, but there are no guarantees. Last I heard, nun mae chees in Thailand still go to Sri Lanka for full ordination. 

    When perfected, the temple-based sangha system might indeed be able to serve as an economic paradigm, though not likely either communist or capitalist. Collectivist, maybe? Yes, maybe, if certain temples could be coaxed into giving up the daily alms round. It’s nice, and all, but is more symbolic than absolutely necessary, certainly. I suppose some folks see the monks dropping by for daily bread like paper or milk delivery boys, as regular as rain, but they could maybe be encouraged to visit the temple more often, too. That’s often what they do in the USA, and it works fairly well.  

    Bottom line: if Buddhist monasteries were to allow women on an equal basis with men and they were to grow bountiful organic gardens, with rotating tasks divided equally between women and men, I bet that they could overcome any lingering sexual urges, and in the meantime impress many people with their efforts to be a new social paradigm. I personally would be so impressed that I and others might easily be inspired to make some contributions to the cause once or twice a year. It’s a new world dawning, better sooner than later.   

     
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    hardie karges 4:05 pm on August 18, 2026 Permalink | Reply
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    Buddhism 101: You Shouldn’t Take More than You Give… 

     
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    hardie karges 2:40 am on August 16, 2026 Permalink | Reply
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    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 2:24 am on August 9, 2026 Permalink | Reply
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    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 2:50 am on August 2, 2026 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Bhikkhu, , , , , Middle Path, , Monks W4P, , Pannakara, Vicksburg   

    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 4:23 pm on July 30, 2026 Permalink | Reply
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    Buddhist Sati: Enjoy the Mindfulness… 

     
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    hardie karges 4:18 am on July 26, 2026 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: ACIM, , , , , , , Middle Path   

    Buddhism and the Meeting of East and West…  

    Buddhism in Bhutan

    When President George W. Bush proclaimed loudly that the USA was an ‘ownership society’, he was not being apologetic. He was bragging. He was bragging about the fact that we are possessed by our possessions. He was bragging about the fact that we are too deficient in our own resources that we need constant ‘outside’ stimulation to keep us happy. He was bragging about our constant cravings that inspire popular songs and desires forever unrequited.  

    And that’s where the old traditional Buddhism comes in, because that’s what it’s all about, almost, not so much mindfulness and meditation, which are largely the concerns today, for whatever reason. The reality seems to be that Modern Christianity and Modern Buddhism are moving together so quickly as to almost be indistinguishable, so that the traditional ‘meeting of East and West’ is largely accomplished, even if many of the problems still remain, even if spread out over a more uniform landscape. 

    The proof of that is manifold, if not the popularity of meditation in the West, then the popularity of ‘lovingkindness’ in Buddhism. Because every native English speaker knows that term from way back, long before any interest in Buddhism, it historically developed specifically for Christianity some 500 years ago, a fact well attested. Indian nationals swear that it is a translation for the Pali term metta, which it certainly is—now.  

    But that term was translated as friendliness, i.e. friendship, for many hundreds of years, before the modern Buddhists got hold of it, whether from Western Buddhists or creative Asians, a fact easily proven by related terms for ‘friend’ in many Asian languages, variations on metta, e.g. mit, maitri, etc. The effect is the same, since Buddhism suddenly got a little warmer and emotional in the process, and maybe the West got a little cooler, too, in the exchange. ACIM, A Course in Miracles, the modern Christian spiritual juggernaut, now talks about Enlightenment in the same way as many Buddhists, and their Heaven is something accessible NOW. Sound familiar? 

     
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    hardie karges 6:51 am on July 12, 2026 Permalink | Reply
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    Buddhism and the Wisdom of Children…  

    We (adults) pride ourselves at teaching our young ones how to make it through life, growing and learning, getting and spending, and all the other things that count for adulthood. But is that truly a worthwhile effort, and are they indeed really learning anything important? Sometimes it seems that all we are really teaching is how to fear the powers that be, and then the ability to lie, cheat, steal, and murder is merely a by-product of that more basic capacity to fear. 

    But shouldn’t they be teaching us a thing or two at the same time, like maybe how to laugh and play and enjoy the day as if there were never indeed one before and may never be another one after? I mean, have you ever met a child incapable of smiling? No, not that I can remember, but I know many adults who never seem to be able to summon up the courage to let go of their fears in that way for even a moment. But, wait a minute, you’re thinking, isn’t a child’s smile likely to turn into a frown without the slightest notice, and for even less reason?  

    And there’s the rub. Yes, for many a child, an emotion is only a transient sensation, as ephemeral as a passing cloud and with even less reason, merely the chatter of butterflies without vocal chords, just the flapping of wings in a season without time, meter or rhyme, while adults do the hard work of civilization. So, the middle path is always the sweet spot of reconciliation, the wisdom of age and the sensation of youth, coexisting in a crucible of truth, forever beholden to the divine principles that contrive us. Buddhism is the wisdom of men, as learned from children—and women. But that’s another story… 

     
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    hardie karges 12:10 am on June 28, 2026 Permalink | Reply
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    Buddhism and the Nine-fold Path: Right Freedom…  

    Too much freedom can sometimes work against us. And that’s the conundrum, of course, because we’re led to believe that freedom is something of the be-all and end-all of life in this world. But it’s not, not really. It’s most important in opposition to its opposite, i.e. prison, of the heart and of the mind. That’s the importance of freedom, the escape from prison. Too much freedom is not good, though. It’s chaos, with a total lack of control. As always, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. 

    That’s the Middle Path, of course, that nickel-and-dime philosophy that’s almost always right, without having to even think much about it. That’s the beauty of such simple math. Avoid extremes, and you’ll usually be right. If that means that you’re drinking lukewarm coffee, instead of the really hot stuff or the really cold, then so be it. Lukewarm coffee ain’t bad, not bad at all. If that means that you won’t burn your little fingers, then count your blessings. Ditto on the brain freeze. Do you really like that feeling so much, anyway?  

    But this is one of the most important parts of Buddhism, even if it’s not as sexy as the basic mindfulness of breathing in and breathing out. We have work to do, too, as adults we do, many of us householders and addicted to the haze and daze of life on this planet. We can’t all be monks. Some of us have to do the work so that the monks will have something to eat. That’s you and me, brother and sister, and we need some help. That’s where the Middle Path comes in, as helpful as Hegel’s dialectic as it is the Buddha’s spiritual path between luxury and lack.  

    That means that there is always a synthesis, a path forward, between the opposite poles of a dialectic, i.e. a dialog, a discussion, or a decision. And it never stops, like the evolution of species or consciousness. If I don’t know whether to plant early, for maximum growing season, or later, to avoid the heaviest rains, then I’ll split the difference, and keep a watchful eye on the skies. It’s almost like breath. The skies are getting cloudier now, and I know that is information that I can use. And I know that it usually occurs when the days and night are most equal. The sun tells me that when it sets upon the same hill at the same time every year. That’s science. That’s mindfulness. That’s Buddhism.  

     
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    hardie karges 9:33 am on May 31, 2026 Permalink | Reply
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    The Buddhist Middle Path Between Bliss and Industry    

    The most difficult attachments are to (our) selves and (our) lives, which almost goes without saying, because what could be more logical and apparently natural? But it’s probably worth the effort to say it, because it may not be natural at all, maybe just the opposite, in fact. Because the only thing connecting it all is consciousness, and that hardly implies attachment, only awareness. This is a core principle of Buddhism, and nothing is more important.  

    Because once you’ve become attached to yourself, then you will certainly become attached to your wife and your children and your job, as if nothing could be more natural. But there is something almost more natural, and that’s non-attachment. Imagine the bliss that becomes possible by simply being alive without transacting, becoming blissfully wet when it rains and playfully engaged when it dries? So, why don’t animals do that, then, as we imagine they do? 

    But they don’t, or not totally. Jesus has already been busted for claiming that birds don’t build barns, when in fact they clearly do. In the English language we call them nests. In fact, these birds are a full step ahead of those imaginary ‘present moment’ Buddhists, as they are more like Middle Path Buddhists, splitting the difference between bliss and industry, very much in the moment, but with an eye to the future, too. We humans were once like that, planting seeds but also practicing crafts. Cities should be unnecessary with the advent of high tech. Maybe we should try that.   

     

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