Questions Around Town


I have never been inclined to (or even capable of) bhakti–unquestioning surrender and love for guru or deity, though I have practiced for years with those who believe for better or worse that it is an essential element of the yoga. I do, however, believe that having teachers is essential to developing a full and…
Current stack of to be read in anticipation of upcoming travel. Though I’m on a brief detour into a reread of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” which appeared the other day in a nearby “little free library.” The Arundhati Roy is so finely wrought, I can only read a few pages at a time….
I had a delightful chat with artist Quest Skinner out at Eastern Market today. I was quite attracted to the clear-headed Buddha and called it that. Quest held up the cloudy-headed Buddha and relayed a story of having given a friend from Burning Man one with a clear head and one that was clouded. I…
After the five mahabhutas (great elements), the five tanmatras (subtle elements), the five karmendriyas (organs of action), and the five jnanendriyas (organs of cognition or sensing), come the three antahkaranas (internal organs). The antahkaranas are manas (mind), buddhih (intellect/intuition), and ahamkara (ego, sense of self as an individual). These 23 tattvas describe the objective world…