“There are some things worse than ghosts” Max Mayfield told Eddie Munson in season 4 of Stranger Things. Max was trying to describe the horrors of the Upside Down to the newest member of the party before a showdown with Vecna, the “big bad” of the series. While this was…
Tag: zen
Lifestyles
Continue Reading
Meditation Made Easy: The Best Apps for Every Experience Level
Want to start meditating but don’t know where to dive in? Are you an experienced meditator looking for an app that can expand your practice and expose you to new methods and techniques? No matter where you are in your journey we’ve got you covered! We’ve assembled a list of…
Music
Continue Reading
Why Did Kurt Cobain Name His Band Nirvana?
Kurt Cobain died at the ripe age of 27 in 1994. Despite his short run in the human realm, he’s left a lasting impression on American culture and music. Cobain was raised in a devout born-again catholic home but would later reject his faith and become a non-denominational agnostic. During…
Video Games
Continue Reading
The Oregon Trail: Your Traumatic Introduction to the Middle Way
“First, I lost my father to dysentery. Then… my Mother. Next, both my brother and sister succumbed to dysentery. Finally, I felt the disease working its way through my digestive tract, and I knew I had dysentery as well. We never completed our journey.” No, this isn’t an excerpt from…
Music
Continue Reading
Jimmy Yu’s Path from Hardcore Punk to Hardcore Zen Master
Buddhism is the most “punk rock” religion there is. There, I said it. You might think that’s a controversial statement, but let’s break it down harder than an Acacia Strain song. Both Buddhism and Punk/Hardcore music are all about being true to yourself, seeing past the societal norms pushed on…
Music
Continue Reading
The Best Buddhism-Inspired Songs: A Playlist of Modern Music
Some early Buddhist texts denounced music. Claiming it was nothing more than a sensory distraction pulling practitioners away from their meditation practice. Theravada Buddhist precepts prohibit monastics from singing, dancing or even listening to music. In spite of these ancient rules, there have been countless songs inspired by the ancient…
Lifestyles
Continue Reading
Forest Bathing: Modern Shinrin-yoku in the Digital Age
You’ve probably heard the term “Forest Bathing” being tossed around on TikTok or your social media platform of choice lately. But what you might not know is that it’s a relatively modern term that originated in Japan in the 1980s. It has since been rebranded, repackaged (you can almost say…
Film and TV
Continue Reading
Buddhism in the Matrix: Morpheus The Bodhisattva
The red pill or the blue pill? Enlightenment or the endless cycle of samsara? One is a trope invented by “The Matrix“, a 1999 science fiction film starring Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne. The latter is an ancient Buddhist doctrine that states all beings are constantly experiencing an ongoing cycle…
literature
Continue Reading
Buddhism Made Simple: The Best Books for Curious Newcomers
Are you interested in learning about Buddhism but don’t know where to start? Have you tried reading about Buddhism in the past but were intimidated or confused by verbose and overly-wordy antiquated texts? Then this list is for you! The philosophy and beliefs of this 2,500 year old religion are…
literature
Continue Reading
Best Buddhist Print Magazines You Can Subscribe to Today
Picture this: It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon. You turn on the kettle to make yourself a little afternoon pick-me-up of your favorite coffee or tea. You sit down on the couch ready to enjoy a little rest and relaxation. Before you can stop yourself your monkey mind has you reach…