A COSMOPOLITAN LAWYER: JUST SOME READINGS I HAVE ENJOYED LATELY

First, this blog replaces my previous blog, thecosmoplitanlawyerblogspot.com . Second, unlike that earlier blog, the present one is primarily meant as a record of my readings. It is not meant to suggest that others will be or should be interested in what I read. And third, in a sense, it is a public diary of one who is an alien in his own American culture. A person who feels at home just about anywhere, except in his birthplace . . . America.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

'DEEPLY TOUCHING THE PRESENT MOMENT'

Thich Nhat Hanh, Living Buddha, Living Christ (10th Anniversary Edition), with an Introduction by Elaine Pagels, and a Foreword by David Steindl-Rast (New York: Riverhead Books, 1995, 2007) ("In Buddhism, our effort is to practice mindfulness in each moment--to know what is going on within and all around us. When the Buddha was asked, 'Sir, what do you and your monks practice?' he replied, 'We sit, we walk, and we eat.' The questioner continued, 'But. sir, everyone sits, walks, and eats,' and the Buddha told him, 'When we sit, we know we are sitting. When we walk, we know we are walking. When we eat, we know we are eating.' Most of the time, we are lost in the past or carried away by future projects and concerns. When we are mindful, touching deeply the present moment, we can see and listen deeply, and the fruits are always understanding, acceptance, love, and the desire to relieve suffering and bring joy." Id. at 199-200.).