Category: meditation
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Letting go of anger
Goals Moderate: The goal is not to manage anger; it is to make anger subside. Stringent: The goal is not to cope with anger; it is to ensure that anger doesn’t arise. What is Anger? Anger is the belief that someone has (1) deliberately harmed you and (2) that retaliation (in thought or deed) is…
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On philosophical counseling and Willy Wonka
This past summer, I was having lunch with a friend of mine. Over fish tacos, he asked me what reason I had to believe that I could work with end-of-life conversation partners. How did I know that I could bring them peace of mind? I told him I did not know, and my intuition was that…
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On drudgery and artistry
The book I had called up from storage was not on the pick-up shelf. It was 2 hrs. after I had made the initial request, not the 20 min. according to policy. The title of the book is The Life of Eric Gill. Today, Gill is perhaps best known for his clean, modern typefaces and fonts,…
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On smoking
My toes, I imagine, are wound round the chipped balcony bars. I’m sitting somewhat uncomfortably on the wooden chair painted a Mediterranean yellow and wobbly. I’m trying to be still, this morning time, to take in the scene all at once or in bits, but I’m chilled by the early spring, the sea breeze, the…
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On spiritual exercise
1 One of my fondest childhood memories is of my father playing catch with me. In my mind’s eye, I can see him showing me how to rotate my glove through a sundial of positions. A basket catch won’t always do. You don’t stab at the ball with pinchers; you let it in. A good…
Andrew Taggart, Ph.D. 