Tony Sharp

Life and Eastern Philosophy

4 notes

‘The perception of death, when developed & pursued, is of great fruit, of great benefit. It gains a footing in the Deathless, has the Deathless as its final end’: Thus was it said. In reference to what was it said? When a monk’s awareness often remains steeped in the perception of death, his mind shrinks away from fervor for life, bends away, pulls back, and is not drawn in, and either equanimity or loathing take a stance.
Sañña Sutta: Perceptions

Filed under buddhism dhamma dharma tipitaka wisdom buddha quote philosophy death life equanimity awareness mindfulness

13 notes

Adria Richards and The Wrong Approach

As a “person of color”, I deeply disagree with how Adria Richards, through her actions at PyCon, and by her recent statement, is propagating the idea that blacks and females must be catered to, and treated with kid gloves.

I’ve dealt with my fair share of oppression. I had a teacher in grade school openly discourage black students from aspiring to be like the ambitious characters in The Cosby Show because she felt they were “grossly unrealistic.” And I’ve been called a nigger at least once in 3 of the predominantly white neighborhoods I lived in.

But I didn’t let these bad experiences turn me into a vigilante, or start demanding that people treat me in a special way. I studied and worked my ass off, and built a career around my merits, not my race, or gender.

I don’t condone the hostile backlash Richards has received, nor do I object to her right to speak out. My biggest issue is with her political strategy, which, thus far, has proven to be very divisive.

Sexism, racism and homophobia are alive and well in many parts of our society, but these issues shouldn’t be countered with acts of malice. To get past race and gender issues, we can’t walk through life with race and gender at the forefront of our thoughts, constantly bringing attention to what we are instead of who we are, and the work we do.

I don’t want to be seen as a “person of color.” I’d rather just be a “person.”

Filed under race gender feminism race relations adria richards dongle gate pycon racism sexism african americans

5 notes

Authentic Meditation

The original purpose of meditation, as prescribed by Indian and Asian cultures over 2,000 years ago, was to simplify and “let go” by relinquishing mental and material clutter.

If this isn’t the central focus of your meditation practice, or if your teacher is making you pay them, you may not be with a legitimate group.

I suggest looking up Anapanasati, Vipassana, Zazen or Satipatthana if you want to learn more about practical meditation techniques that are freely available.

Filed under meditation buddhism

2 notes

How do I know which Buddhist tradition is right for me?

In my frank (and possibly inaccurate) opinion, Zen and Theravada Buddhism are two of the few Buddhisms worth looking into. Many of the other variants, Pure Land especially, feature gross embellishments that diverge from the historical Buddha’s teachings.

Between Zen and Theravada, which would I recommend? It depends.

Zen, which draws some inspiration from Taoism, is very elegant in its overall simplicity, but some of the teachings, particularly the koans, can be cryptic, and some teachers use the pejorative “Hinayana” when referring to the Theravada. However, the practice, which emphasizes mindfulness and breath meditation (Zazen) over scriptural study, is very straightforward and easily accessible.

The Theravada is more thorough and systematic than Zen, and offers a wider variety of meditation objects (Satipatthana), but some of the ethical teachings can be interpreted as conservative. Discourses for householders can be found in the Theravada scriptures (The Pali Canon), but they’re almost lost in the multitude of discourses on renunciation.

Zen and Theravada offer intuitive solutions that can help you cope better with everyday life. I suggest researching both Buddhisms to see which one resonates most with you.

Here are some links to help you get started:

Filed under buddhism theravada zen philosophy wisdom meditation buddha