Fearless Wonder

I have become a neophyte science geek. When I started my journey away from Adventism I didn't realize I would become a nerd. Initially all my thinking was wrapped up around moral and spiritual questions. As I became more comfortable in my own semi-buddhist agnostic skin an unintended side-effect took place. I blame it on The March of the Penguins. I saw this movie with my Kindergarteners. Without my creationist goggles on I really started to marvel at how the penguins came to be. I researched penguins for quite awhile afterwards. Then I started researching amphibians for a thematic unit. I must have watched this video of the Surinam Toad over and over again. Sooo gross but soooo cool! Next I blame auto-tune. For some reason I was watching videos that had been auto-tuned and I came across this one with Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking. Funny but strangely moving. Then i started reading about the vastness of space and the galaxies and the big bang. Radio Lab has b...

I needed a break from my lesson planning so I decided to pick up my long neglected blog. First off to all the mothers out there I am not writing this as a criticism of you. I am sure you have settled these issues for yourselves, but I haven't. I have been told that couples who choose not to have children are selfish because they spend all their money, time etc on themselves where couples who have children give to their children. Honestly I feel that having a child is just as selfish as not having a child. Basically there are millions of unwanted children and suffering people in the world who we could be helping, but instead we choose to have children to add more love to our own lives. We do everything we can to give them every possible advantage and in doing so waste natural resources and contribute to the problem of global warming and pollution. Meanwhile we throw a few pennies here and there to a charity to ease our conscience. The children we raise repeat the cycle, either ...

For my Christian friends. What is unique about Jesus? What would following Jesus do that no other path can do?

"You yourself must strive. The Buddhas only point the way." I have been thinking about this lately. At times I have tried to use Buddhism in the same way I used Christianity. I was expecting a miracle without effort. I need to remember that this is a practice. You practice to improve. The other night I had insomnia and was listening to a Thich Nhat Han audiobook to relax. My husband came in an accidentally knocked into something. The insomnia brain instantly charged up again and the worry and anxiety started rolling. I also became incredibly angry. I was also a little mad at Thich Nhat Han. Grrrr! Why didn't his magical monk voice stop me from getting angry? Also, there have been a couple of times, after meditating where I have had panic attacks. Why didn't the magical meditations stop the panic attacks. Usually if I am calm before I meditate I don't have a panic attack afterwards, however sometimes I would experience anxiety and meditate to make it go...

From the Buddhist perspective you ought to view harmful and irritating things as teachers. Thank you to my right wing teachers. You made me realize, as I became angry with you, that I do not want to be angry as you are. I need to return to the way of peace and meditation. Thank you

So apparently just because I think that there are good Muslim people in the world I therefore must also hate America. Also apparently I also learned that even though Jesus ate with prostitutes and tax collectors, eating with Muslims would just be asking to much. The things you learn when you talk to right wingers.

Do we miss our chance to be happy here because we are always wishing for heaven?