Posted on August 9, 2016
Sitting in Air
I recently saw an article “Zen and the Art of 401(k) Maintenance”. It was accompanied by an image of someone floating in air, in the lotus position. There are many who think zen is about sitting. On the contrary it’s about engaging, that’s what koans are all about.
“Live neither in the entanglements of outer things,
nor in inner feelings of emptiness.
Be serene in the oneness of things and such
erroneous views will disappear by themselves.
When you try to stop activity by passivity
your very effort fills you with activity.”
Hsin Hsin Ming
Inscribed on the Believing Mind
FollowPosted on July 22, 2016
Mapping Consciousness
A recent article in the New York Times explained how scientists are mapping more areas of the brain. The article states:”The map produced by the computer includes 83 familiar regions, such as Broca’s area, but includes 97 that were unknown — or just forgotten.”
I’m very much in favor of any science that shows that who I am (my brain), is not some extra-physical consciousness floating in the ether but rather flesh and blood rooted in the reality of the physical universe. On the other hand, mapping the locations in the brain where certain brain functions are processed is well… I can map my home. The kitchen is where I cook, the bedroom is where I sleep, the living room is where I watch TV and the bathroom is where I brush my teeth. Most dwellings are made-up of these basic rooms yet knowing that I sleep in the bedroom doesn’t help me understand who I am.
A New York Times piece about mapping areas of the brain.
Posted on August 31, 2015
A very zen piece from the late Oliver Sacks
From the NY Times: “Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.” Read the rest.
