Blog
Welcome to the Infinite Smile Blog. We’ve set up shop at Substack.
Dalai Lama’s Successor Dilemma… take a vote.
So very interesting... The People's Daily Online reports: According to an interview with People's Daily Online, professor Shen Weirong, director of the Research Center on Han-Tibetan Buddhism at Renmin University of China, and expert on Tibet, said that the Dalai...
This issue came up over the weekend as I spoke with someone about their desire to leave their community. Individuals with these false Awakenings fill the spiritual marketplace. They may be charismatic, brilliant, and disarming. Yet as teachers they perhaps havent...
Dog gets too close to child during baking... Originally uploaded by Michael G. McAlister
Renaissance Roshi
Ross Robertson of EnlightenNext has a nice piece on an interesting pioneer: Jun Po Roshidharma heir of Rinzai Zen Master Eido Shimano Roshi, founder of a lay Buddhist order called Hollow Bones, and originator of a modern form of Rinzai known as Mondo Zencame to...
Tahoe Morning
Tahoe Morning Originally uploaded by Michael G. McAlister
Book Talk
Book Talk Originally uploaded by Michael G. McAlister
Redux: Anger and Dogma
I've been reading and listening to lots of conflict over the past several days. Along with the recent killing of the doctor who performs abortions as well as yesterday's shooting at the Holocaust Museum, it got me thinking about some writing I did on this topic. ...in...
He’s Not the Messiah! He’s a Naughty, Naughty Boy!
A couple of more pieces on the ongoing saga of Osel Hita Torres who recently left monastic life and his tradition: Over at the Guardian, Victoria Coren offers up an interesting bit of analysis: ...you have to know what you are rejecting. Otherwise, the rejection has...
Should I Leave My Teacher?
I thought I'd share this exchange I just had with a reader: Michael, for some reason, issues of guru abuse are coming at me from every direction. I just had a good friend call me asking to talk - she has been with a guru here in the Bay Area for 7 years and is...
Muslims Throwing Light Upon Themselves
Over at the Intent.com, Deepak Chopra offers some analysis of Obama's speech in Cairo: ...it was a cobweb-clearing speech. The content wasn't exceptional. Before Muslims assumed the role of bogeyman after 9/11, any tolerant educated person realized that Islamic...