New life, new year
(4min read) The usual expression is "new year, new life", and I know we're already halfway through January. This text is, in a way, a questioning of the beliefs and certainties I have harboured about time. Let's take a look at some historical facts (source: Wikipedia): "the conventional Gregorian calendar we currently use originated [...]
One more time
From 17 to 23 November 2024, I took part in the Zen Peacemakers' Retreat in the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camps in Poland. But why take part once again? My first participation in this Retreat took place in 2010 and since then I have expanded my effective engagement in the practices of socially engaged Buddhism, particularly as a member [...]
The importance of space
Beginnings and endings
In our existence, every process has its beginning and end point. In our human limitation of partially understanding reality as it is, we are often reluctant to accept the moment of serenely welcoming the fact that something has come to an end. Dealing with the conclusion of processes, whether in the personal or professional sphere, [...]
A wounded body
The Earth's single body is wounded. The human species has seriously damaged the Systems of Life. We need to change our way of life immediately, because the consequences of our ignorance of the limits we must respect when dealing with planetary resources are evident all over the planet. Natural tragedies multiply and follow [...]
Listen, learn, pronounce
When I'm in Brazil, I try to immerse myself in the intensity of the country where I was born. And it's always very intense. This time, my greatest motivations had to do with the retreat we organised in Bahia from 1 to 5 May 2024 - "Slavery and freedom in Brazil" - which served to officially launch the [...]
Crisis
As you read this text, no matter when it is, there will be a considerable series of crises in progress. It is part of human history to live with crises. The very nature of our existence is characterised by crises that we can call vital.
Rhythm
Learning is a remarkable human capacity. I think that one of the things that sets our species apart is the possibility of using discriminative thinking as a very skillful tool for dealing with reality. In this action, understanding is refined and each person, in their way and time, builds an individual system for interpreting what they perceive. This process of building an interpretive framework can progressively limit the possibility of understanding other views.
Integral listening
Authentic listening requires full presence and active availability
Starting with our anatomy, there are clear indications of the value of listening: the ratio is two ears to one mouth. Culturally, the usual process is one of continuous and intense message stimulation, in all communication channels. We talk a lot, all the time. A lot of energy goes into arguing points of view and trying to be right. Our society lacks silence, breaks, rest and authentic listening.
Society
Society - feminine noun: a group of beings who live together in a gregarious state and in mutual collaboration. Concept: a society is a broad structure in which individuals establish relationships, almost always impersonal, but which have a collective aspect. Every day, I can access news from all over the world. Even though the views are usually biased, [...]
English (UK)