Philosophy
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The Illusion of Self and the Ever-Presence of Love
What first drew me to Buddhism was the idea of non-self—the insight that the “self” as we know it is an illusion. At first, this concept can feel deeply counterintuitive. From the moment we’re born, we are flooded with the markers of identity: our name, our birth weight, the exact time we entered the world.…
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Thoughts on Death 1.28.24
Fact: You have one less day today. It is never an easy feeling to hear someone is dead. What do you mean they are gone? Then how do they live rent free in my mind still? There has to be more to the picture then alive one day, and then dead the next day, forever.…
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1.21.24
At this pivotal moment in my life, a month after my 29th birthday, I find myself in a state of introspection and growth. As a professional athlete might be at their peak, I, too, feel at a prime of sorts, albeit in a different context. This period has been marked by a profound connection to…
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Cafe BJJ #1: The Remembering
Many people see a prophet differently than me. They often see it as someone who can predict the future. I see it as someone who brings you back on your proper path in life. I have a handful of activities that I love to do, but with all the distractions of modern society, it can…
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Dear Friend 4.2.23
I used to believe that I was a hardcore introvert, who just loved being alone. But as I grew older, I realized that I was more of a socially anxious ambivert. I enjoy spending time with good company and peaceful solitude equally. However, strangers always made me uncomfortable. As I thought more about it, I…
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Dear Tío
Thank you for visiting my dream last night. I was wondering where you had been the last several years. You sort of just vanished. Though you were gone, a part of you always stayed with the family. How exactly did you do that? Your body wasn’t here but the feeling like you was here was…
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The Happiness Hypothesis: Haidt on Divinity
Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist at NYU whose work focuses around the psychology of morality. He has a wonderful book in my personal top five called The Happiness Hypothesis, where he merges ancient wisdom with modern truth to create a formula for happiness. I will discuss a chapter of the book titled “Divinity With…
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Christianity and Nature
So I am currently taking an environmental philosophy course and I recently read an article by the late American historian Lynn White Jr. titled, “The Historical Roots of our Ecological Crisis.” I found this article to be extremely fascinating as I had never stopped to consider what role religion has had on society’s view of…
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BJJ is the Way
I recently embarked on a new journey as a student of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). I had kept my practice quiet from most of my social circle as I focused on getting acclimated to such a new and exciting world. I decided to break my silence after getting my first stripe. Because of this, I…
Cosmic Latte 