Are you "Seriously Buddhist, Seriously Geeky"?

I wanted to let everyone know about Buddhist Geeks.  As I've been seeking to learn more about Buddhism lately, I found Buddhist Geeks web site and podcast and they've both been a great resource for me. 

I started by downloading just the latest podcast to see if it was cool. Podcasts can sometimes be pretty lacking in polish, which can detract from the information even if it's great information.  I was very pleased by the quality.  I then went back and started with everything from 2010 forward.  When I finished that, I started at the beginning and I'm working my way to the middle…way.

Anyhow, I've been extremely pleased with the content, the production and most of all the openness of the whole thing.  They really tackle all manner of Buddhist related material and don't seem to bring any slant to the table.

Anyhow, perhaps my favorite thing is how they've evolved from where they started (their motto was "Seriously Buddhist, Seriously Geeky") to where their identity really surfaced through their work as "Discover The Emerging Face of Buddhism".  Now they are even taking a bold step and hosting a conference in California on this very topic that clearly is of interest to a lot of Buddhists and Buddhish people in America.

They've recently added a digital magazine aspect to the web site and also are hosting some coursework on Buddhism directly through the site from what it looks like.  The site, and all of it's podcasts and articles are 100% free.  They gladly accept donations and support if you are interested.  After consuming untold hours of FREE educational audio from them, I finally decided it was well worth it, and signed up as a Micro-Patron.  It's a VERY small price to pay for a vast collection of quality Buddhist audio.

I really encourage you to check Buddhist Geeks out and see if you find any value in what they have to offer.  It's TOTALLY free and you do not *have* to donate, but if you enjoy it, you might want to consider a donation to help keep it coming.  From my research it is some of the best material out there for free.  It's also worth pointing out that a big part of the reason I was willing to donate to them is precisely because of them not requiring it, but consistently and gently reminding me about it.  They managed to walk a thin line between annoying people by asking for money, and not asking enough.  They basically have each podcast tagged with a message about "If you like what Buddhist Geeks has provided" then please feel free to donate.  If I hadn't heard that message each time, I may not have done it.  If I had heard it MORE than I did, I certainly wouldn't have.  Good work on their part!

MS

Savor the BOOK!

Last night I did my usual three miles of walking meditation.  When I had finished my usual meditative musings, I turned my thoughts toward an issue that has been on my mind lately.

Maintaining Mindfulness.

I have been very fortunate to have had an extraordinarily easy time losing my weight so far.  There's been a few challenges along the way, but all VERY minor.  The hardest time I have had has been recent.  I had a week long stretch where life simply demanded my time elsewhere and I was not able to do my Tai Chi in the mornings, or my walking at night for almost a solid week.  As those fell away, so did my drive to wake up and meditate in the four o'clock hour every day.  By the end of the week, I found myself struggling to get back in the swing of things.  But I am fully aware that this sounds very whiny when weight loss can be so incredibly difficult for us.  I know, I've been there...my whole life.  BUT, as it has been so easy for me this year, this minor challenge has been a little tough.  Tough enough, at least, that it got me thinking about just exactly "Why HAVE I had it so easy?"  And just exactly "Why IS it hard right now?"

That's when it came to me.  And, once again, I have Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr. Lilian Cheung - as well as their book "Savor" - to thank for it!  The answer was in front of me every time I logged in to Twitter and saw "@SAVOR_the_book" or went to the web site for the Savor Sangha which is www.SavorTheBook.com.  The answer couldn't have been more perfect, if they had crafted it intentionally.  The answer was:

"Savor...the...BOOK!"

Instead of reading the book through, and then forgetting about it.  I recommend that you read it more than once.  Truly savor it!  Over and over again.  Or at least make highlights and notes and re-read those randomly.  Heck, if you do nothing except read "Chapter Two: Are you really appreciating the apple?" before your meals, I think you'll be reminded to be mindful while eating.  (This apple meditation has proven extremely powerful for me personally.)

I will definitely be revisiting my highlighted passages on my iPad regularly.   And, while on that subject, let me just say that the eBook version on an eReader is THE way to go for something like this.  You can gain instant access to exactly the quote or passage that you want, as well as your notes on that passage.  iBooks is kind of made for this.

Anyhow, I really loved this little bit of insight.  It made me smile, and it made perfect sense.  I'll let you know if it helps me maintain my mindfulness.  As for my week off, and subsequent struggles to get back in gear, it seems to have passed.  I'm back to eating healthier than ever, exercising daily and getting my weight moving again.  I am down 82 pounds as of today!

Are you having any struggles or issues, big or small, in sticking to your plan?  What are you doing about it?

MS

Savor: Mindul Eating, Mindful Living is Now In Paperback!

I saw a post on the SavorTheBook blog that they have released the paperback version of the book and they are celebrating by giving it away for *FREE*!

Anyone who reads here regularly probably knows that, while I use a variety of technology (iPhone, iPad, various apps, books and more) to assist with my weight loss and lifestyle changes, "Savor" is the foundation of my entire plan.  I aslo credit "Savor" as being the root of my success.  All the other tools are great and incredibly useful in their own ways, but without the day-to-day mindfulness techniques I learned in "Savor" I would not have been able to lose the weight.  I am thoroughly convinced of this.

Anyhow, if you want to check it out and give it a try for yourself click on the links in this post to go to their page and enter to win your *FREE* copy!  They are entering everyone who joins the Savor Community today, to win a free copy.  You can also "like" their post on FaceBook for a chance to win.

You can find them on FaceBook (SavorTheBook) or Twitter ( @SAVOR_the_book ).

I hope you'll check them out.  It's great stuff!
Regards,
MS

Socializing and Favicons

Good morning!  As I continue to improve on this little blog, I am adding features, tweaks and social media.

I set up a facebook account under Mondo Samu and also a Twitter account as @MondoSamu

I'm working on a favicon and logo, but running in to issues with that.  Should be up before too long.

I also enabled the mobile blog, so that the blog shows up really nice on a mobile device such as the iPhone or Droid and such.  VERY cool.

I hope everyone enjoys these changes and additions.

Have a great day!
MondoSamu

Mondo Samu Site Maintenance - COMPLETE!

OK, my changes have all been implemented, and as far as I can tell there are no issues with any of it.

Aside from my own permissions changes on the back end, the blog should now post to my Twitter (@mondosamu) and Facebook (Mondo Samu) accounts automatically.

I'll be testing it out of the next few days/weeks.

Let me know if anyone has any questions or issues with any of it.

Thanks!!
MS