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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
    Tags: , , , , Middle Path, ,   

    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
    Tags: , , , , , , Middle Path   

    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
    Tags: , , , , , , , Middle Path, ,   

    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
    Tags: , , , , , Middle Path, , ,   

    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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    hardie karges 5:20 pm on May 6, 2026 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , Middle Path,   

    Buddhism: the Middle Path in an Imperfect World 

     
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    hardie karges 4:42 pm on April 16, 2026 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , Middle Path, ,   

    Buddhist Meditation and Mediation of Extremes 

     
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    hardie karges 2:18 am on March 15, 2026 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: balance, , , , , , Middle Path,   

    Buddhism 101: It is all a question of balance…   

    This is one of the not-so-secret secrets of Buddhism and much the meaning of the sometimes meandering Middle Path. If not that, then what would the Middle Path mean? A shortcut to salvation? There may or may not be something like salvation, but there is definitely no shortcut. If anything, Buddhism is hard work. Yes, that’s right. Because that Middle Path may not always be straight and narrow, but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy. 

    Which is the usual connotation of the phrase ‘straight and narrow; that it’s goddawful boring and devoid of all sensory pleasure. And there’s some truth to that.  After all, who drinks lukewarm coffee? No one that I know. We drink it hot, or we drink it cold, ginger-laced decaf or double express, unapologetic and often judging it by those very extremities of flavor. No one gets excited by Folgers or Maxwell House, but macchiato always gets a grin and even chicory gets good mentions, even if the caffeine content is not significant. 

    But there is more than a matter of taste and tastes at stake here. This is a matter of discipline, and other issues such as kindness and compassion are directly affected. Because , isn’t it sometimes hard to be nice to people with extreme positions? I’m asking this in the year 2026. The answer is yes, of course. So, it sometimes comes as a surprise that the words ‘polite’ and ‘politics’ have more than some distant connection in ancient Rome. No, they’re intimately connected. And both connotations support the concept of a Middle path. We’ll get there eventually. So, let’s get there politely. This is also the key to democracy.  

     
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    hardie karges 2:25 am on December 28, 2025 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , , Middle Path, ,   

    Buddhism and the Karma of Intent…  

    If Buddhism is an open doctrine, it needs to be updated frequently. If it’s a closed doctrine, then it loses relevance over time. All of which is to say that the Buddha was a real person, with real thoughts and feelings, not just some otherworldly manifestation emanating from above in some transcendental livestream, as some of the Mahayanists might prefer it, they with bills to pay and demons to slay and Taoists just nipping at their heels waiting for the price of real estate to stabilize. 

    But dharma practice doesn’t have to be hard and cold. It can be soft and warm and still non-clinging. People think of something often referred to as ‘the law’ as something written in stone and cruel in its intentions. But that is not the case with Buddhism. Buddhism is a philosophy, and one that is measured by its results, not just its intentions. And those results are palpable, from the ‘calm abiding’ produced by meditation to the long-term mindfulness produced by ongoing practice.  

    If you’re in it for the bliss, then good luck with that, because it’s a bit uncertain and a bit difficult to measure subjectively or objectively. Personally, I prefer the increased certainty of lesser expectations that accompany devotion to the Middle Path that defines Buddhism. Because that is not a cheap shortcut designed to increase the coffers while padding the rolls. No, that is intrinsic to that which is Buddhism and which is honest to a fault. To avoid extremes is to avoid mistakes. The only certainty is negation, but that is not always a viable approach to a situation that needs action, karma, honest effort. 

     

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