The Asian Mind/The American Mind

1. The following remarks are from Captain Ted Shipman, a U.S. intelligence officer in South Vietnam: “You see, they do have some–well, methods and practices that we are not accustomed to, that we wouldn’t use…

A Brief Consideration of Napalm

1. American Heritage Dictionary Napalm, incendiary material used in bombs and flame throwers. Developed during World War II, napalm is a mixture of gasoline (sometimes mixed with other petroleum fuels) and a thickening agent. The…

Clarity

Someone asked Sister Dang Nghiem: “What is most important to you?” She answered: “My awareness.”

Simple

One Zen Master When asked to explain the wonder of reality Pointed to a cypress tree and said “Look at the cypress tree over there.” –Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfulness: A Manual on Meditation…

Washing the Dishes

While washing the dishes one should only be washing the dishes, which means that while washing the dishes one should be completely aware of the fact that one is washing the dishes. At first glance,…

Weekend Meditation

A recent conversation with Sharifa led me to look again at one of Said’s many penetrating studies… 1. In fact, there is no way that I know of apprehending the world from within American culture…