Rest in Peace James Welch has died. I only met him once, years ago, at the very first Art of the Wild conference. He led a workshop with a participant we’d been really worried about — he was this older man from Alaska who had, to our enormous alarm, sent us the entire manuscript of his novel, and it was typed. During the months we were planning the conference, we worried about losing the thing, since it was clear it was probably his only copy. So this gentleman appeared, and we scheduled his workshop for the end of the week…
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I’ve had a slew of emails from sweet readers of this blog lately who seem to be under the impression that I’ve managed to figure out some answer to the ongoing question about how to live, how to live small, how to live in peace and happiness.So I thought perhaps it was time to go on the record. I don’t have any answers. I don’t think there are any answers to that particular question. Like everything else that’s really important in life: love, faith, art, politics — the key term is process. It’s all a process. We never actually get…
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A Buddhist in Catholic Clothing I went to Good Friday Mass this afternoon in my usual state of bemused and bewildered attendance. As the song says, Here I am Lord. Thing is, I’m not entirely sure why. I’m no longer filled with that blissy joyous heart that characterizes the early years of faith practice. Nor am I cast out into the desert of the dark night of the soul. The best I could come up with as I was driving over there this afternoon is that we are asked to take refuge in the Buddha, the Sangha and the Dharma…
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Fourteen Precepts in Seventeen Days Fourteenth: do not mistreat your body. Learn to handle it with respect. Do not look on your body as only an instrument. Preserve vital energies (sexual, breath, spirit) for the realization of the Way. Sexual expression should not happen without love and commitment. In sexual relationships be aware of future suffering that may be caused. To preserve the happiness of others, respect the rights and commitments of others. Be fully aware of the responsibility of bringing new lives into the world. Meditate on the world into which you are bringing new beings. Being Peace, by…
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Fourteen Precepts in Seventeen Days: Day Fifteen Thirteenth: Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property of others but prevent others from enriching themselves from human suffering or the suffering of other beings. Being Peace, by Thich Nhat Hanh LivingSmall took the weekend off from writing about the precepts (one can never really take time off from the precepts, since the precepts are always with us). But now I’m back on task, with this deceptively simple precept. I say deceptively simple because how many of us can truly say that what we possess should be ours? One of…
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Twelfth: Do not kill. Do not let others kill. FInd whatever means possible to protect life and prevent war. Being Peace, by Thich Nhat Hanh Well that’s pretty clear, isn’t it? Simple. Clear. Directive. Note that there’s no “but if … then it’s okay” clause. If you haven’t seen The Onion’s take on this precept, it’s available here: God Angrily Clarifies ‘Don’t Kill’ Rule. (Just because we’re talking about something important, doesn’t mean we can’t be funny.)
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Fourteen Precepts in Fifteen Days Eleventh: Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to life. Select a vocation which helps realize your goal of compassion. Being Peace, by Thich Nhat Hanh I love the idea of vocation. Of course, growing up Catholic, the word always had a certain sotto voce cachet (especially in my materialistic, wealthy suburb) he thinks he might have a vocation. And for me it carried directly over into the idea of writing, of being a writer. My first literary…
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Fourteen Precepts in Fifteen Days Tenth: Do not use the Buddhist community for personal gain or profit, or transform your community into a political party. A religious community should, however, take a clear stand against oppression and injustice, and should strive to change the situation without engaging in partisan conflicts. Being Peace, by Thich Nhat Hanh I don’t have a whole lot to say about this one since I’m not really a member of a Buddhist community. However, I do think the admonition to strive to change a situation without engaging in partisan conflicts is particualry apt, and particularly difficult.…
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Fourteen Precepts in Fifteen Days Ninth: Do not say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest or to impress people. Do not utter words that cause division and hatred. Do not spread news that you do not know to be certain. Do not criticize or condemn things that you are not sure of. Always speak truthfully and constructively. Have the courage to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may threaten your own safety. Being Peace, by Thich Nhat Hanh LivingSmall would like to use this precept as a chance to thank Sean-Paul Kelly over at…
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Fourteen Precepts in Fifteen Days Eighth: Do not utter words that can create discord and cause the community to break. Make every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small. Being Peace, by Thich Nhat Hanh A few weeks ago, my brother went down to Gardiner, which is one of the northern entrances to Yellowstone National Park, with our friend Bill to check out a demonstration. The protesters were there to register their disagreement with the current policy of slaughtering buffalo who cross the park boundary into Montana every winter, usually in search of forage. Because Montana is certified…