Search Results: tarot
Tarot as spiritual path? An interview with Robert Place, Tarot scholar and artist: part 3 of a series
Tarot has been described as "Yoga for the West" and an insight method that is spiritual-path neutral. Tarot symbolism, in fact, can apply to almost any spiritual path, as explained by scholar and artist Robert Place: "Once I could see that pattern, it became obvious that it contained an archetypal truth that...
“Yoga for the west” How Tarot can map to almost any spiritual path — including Buddhism — as meditative art. Part 2 of a series
"You should know all phenomena are like dreams." — Shakyamuni Buddha. In Tibetan Buddhism, Milam, lucid dreaming, is an important practice. Visualizing deities is a principal practice. One of the reasons for both is as a method for overcoming the dualistic mind — helping glimpse reality as it truly is. The language...
Mo Dice and Mala, Bamboo Sticks, Tarot, and other “divinations” — insightful self-guided Buddhist practice or superstition?
Although Mo is a common Tibetan Buddhist practice, not every Buddhist may be comfortable with Mo Dice or Mo Mala Divination — either because of a lingering prejudice, or as a rational mind rejecting non-objectively observable phenomenon. However, His Holiness the Sakya Trizin wrote: “MO: Tibetan Divination System — should be seen...
Holy Day of Chokhor Duchen and Sangha Day: How to celebrate Buddha’s First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma — this year on July 21, 2023
Of the four Holy Days dedicated to Shakyamuni Buddha each year, Chokhor Duchen, the "First Teaching" celebration — the first turning of the Wheel of Dharma — is the most important. In Buddhism, we take refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, but the Dharma — the teachings — is considered the most...
Historical Gautama Shakyamuni Buddha life; what do archaeologists, scholars and scientists agree are the validated, authentic events?
There can be no question that Buddha was a living, historical person, born in the sixth century B.C. in what is now Nepal — whose profound teachings influenced the thinking of philosophers for the last 2600 years. Buddha's life and teachings are not a matter of faith. His practical, method-based teachings changed...
Buddhism’s Most Important Day: Celebrating Shakyamuni Buddha’s Birthday (563 B.C.) on Vesak or Saga Dawa Druchen 2022
Buddhism is a generous, loving, and compassionate path. In keeping with these beliefs, on Buddha's "birthday" (Saga Dawa on the Tibetan lunar calendar falls on June 14, 2022, Vesak on other lunar calendar this year on May 16, 2022) it is considered important to give and celebrate love and kindness — Metta...
The observer conundrum in Buddhism and Quantum Physics: koans, erasers, soul-not-soul, and endless cycles of time
"Emptiness is form. Form is Emptiness" — Buddhism "Reality doesn’t exist unless we are looking at it" — Quantum Physics "The bridge flows, the water is motionless. Why?" — Zen Koan "If you are not completely confused by quantum mechanics, you do not understand it" — Quantum Physics, John Wheeler Doesn't it...
Knowledge is not Wisdom —— and Other Lessons of the Fool: the Ultimate Mindful Wisdom of Child-Mind and Simplicity
The inner-child in us is often the beginning of wisdom. Letting the child flourish, play and act the fool is one path to mindfulness. Who is more mindful than the young child? Unlike grown-ups (or grumps, as they called them in the classic Star Trek series), the child doesn't filter what he...