When we think of the Buddha as a symbol of the self, instead of as a god or as a figurehead for a religion, something can be discovered about the nature of our own mind.
The Buddha is always shown as something tranquil, self-possessed, as a bestower of blessings. Peaceful. Smiling. Relaxed.
And the Buddha is often [...]
In eastern cultures the lotus symbolizes awareness, or consciousness. In the dark of night, the flower is closed. In the light of day, it opens.
It’s roots are in the mud. The leaves are on the surface of the pond. The flower reaches into the air towards the light.
It is also the symbol in the chakra [...]
What could be a visual symbol for growing up?
A tree, perhaps. It goes through all of the stages that people do.
A small helpless shoot, a sapling that needs protection, and it grows and grows until itself it gives protection …
The tree of life, the wish-fulfilling tree, the bo tree under which the Buddha sat, [...]
The Seattle Post Intelligencer may be going out of business … one of the first large American cities to lose a paper.
Most analysis is about the fact that advertising dollars are both becoming less, and going elsewhere. This is true, but this cause is an effect of something more subtle.
We are able to read the [...]
Grandmothers of the world all say the same things. It does not matter what culture they live in, or what language they speak, or what level of education they have. All grandmothers give the same advice.
Don’t be greedy. Learn to share. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
Don’t be greedy. Learn to share. Two wrongs don’t [...]
When we say “we”, how inclusive is that word? Does is refer to everyone on the planet? Or to a subset, like a particular country, or a particular race, or religion, or gender, or team, or one side of an argument?
Do we define ourselves by what we are not? Do we need an [...]
In American English a phrase is used that is a more polite term for the “news”. They call it “current events”. Too bad “current events” is not about the current itself. We would learn more.
Current as flow is mapped as a curve. Curves are made of connected points. We can call those points discrete events. [...]
Have you heard of these words: chi, shakti, prana, kundalini, qi, mana,? None of them are English, of course, but in a global world where concepts travel quickly they have made their way into many vocabularies. They are names for subtle bodily-based energies. Unfortunately, they are still missing from the vocabulary of “science”.
“Western science defends [...]
(re-posted here from an earlier version on tumblr, now closed)
… the future of marketing and advertising
A Sanskrit word, seva, opens an avenue for discussion. It can be translated as “selfless service”. Traditionally it is a powerful technique used for creating unity.
In marketing we are seeking unity with people, friends, customers. giving, serving, opens the door [...]
…everything built on the illusion of duality will continue to fall apart. That’s it.