Month: January 2023
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Dying Before Death: On Dying Consciously
She related that the old man, then 100-years-old, had just come in from outdoors after he’d finishing chopping and stacking the wood for the winter. His face flush with life, he turned to his wife and, with eyes loving and gently determined, told her that he’s ready to go. “I’ll stop eating now,” he said.…
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‘My Mind Is Constantly Racing. How Can I Be Thought-Free?’
Question: My mind is constantly racing. I know that having no thoughts is the goal of meditation, but for me it’s unattainable. How can I possibly come to a thought-free state? The first step is to see that the mind is not constantly arising. Realize that what we call mind is nothing apart from, or…
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The World Is An Illusion: Can That Really Be True?
What Does “The World is an Illusion” Mean? It does not mean that there isn’t any appearance here. When you see a mirage, it’s not that you’re seeing nothing; you are seeing an appearance; it’s just that you’re not actually seeing an oasis. The question–“Is the world an illusion?”–really turns on the epistemic status of…
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‘When I Meditate, I Keep Looking At The Clock’
Question: Often when I’m meditating, I feel like all I want is for it to be over and I find that I keep looking at the clock. It feels like those are the days I need it the most. Should I extend the time when that happens? Do you see the mental affliction? Is the clock…
Andrew Taggart, Ph.D. 