Three new blog links

I've added three new blog links on the left: Journey to Simplicity, Quoting Buddha and My Zen Life.

from Journey to Simplicity:

While Spring Cleaning, I realized that the “some day” we knew would come when we could buy wants had already arrived leaving its mark under beds, in closets, cabinets, the garage, and attic. The clutter in our lives doesn’t stop there either. Our free time is consumed with too many activities and too much money is being spent on technology. Our lives are no longer simple, but have become complicated. Getting to this point was so gradual, we didn’t notice.

Reminiscing about our humble beginning brought back memories of contentment and simple pleasures. Although we have a wonderful life, we miss living a simple existence with complete contentment in each moment.

from My Zen Life:

one of the biggest reasons i have a stillness practice is because of what I do for a living. all day i fill my head with problems that need to be solved and all the puzzle like solutions to them. i frequently come home so wiped out from all the mental gyrations of the day that i find it hard sometimes to just go check email after dinner.

but if i go sit zazen instead i feel refreshed almost immediately after first sitting down. yeah, the knees begin to hurt as does the lower back most of the time as well, but the mind just feels this immense sense of release. all it has to do is just follow the breath and i think it finds its rest in that.

and Quoting Buddha is a collection of quotes from Tibetan Buddhist teachers, with HH the Dalai Lama being the most-quoted.

design note: I also want to mention the very nice and appropriate design of My Zen Life. The saffron-and-wine color scheme of Quoting Buddha is reminiscent of Tibetan monastic clothing, which I assume is the sense it's supposed to evoke, but it's a bit too cheery and bright for me. The neutrals of My Zen Life are more to my taste.