David Jones has a 30-year career with the United States government. He encountered mindfulness in therapy for his endangered marriage (which had led to anxiety-based depression and dissociative disorder symptoms), and writes about the experience in his blog as well as articles in various publications. He started writing articles about mindfulness for Yahoo Voices under the brand: A Mindful Guy.
Dusk Falls on the Wilderness: A Place for Awakening
By David Jones It's a chilly, early October evening, watching the horizon trade its blues for reds, oranges, and purples. My wife and I sit next to the rolling waters of the Missouri River, taking turns yawning, frogs and owls harmonizing badly all along the...
The Tibetan Yogas of Dream & Sleep {Review}
By David Jones I wrote a piece a while back about the benefits of dreams, especially the lessons and teachings they hold. I dream most every night as far as I know, and I'd hate to lose that. Of course in the modern West, talking about dream meanings...
The Natural Marriage of Alan Watts and Zen: Talking Zen Book Review
By David Jones Is ancient Zen still relevant in the modern West? How can teachers adapt their style to Western ears and minds, and how can these teachings help today's seekers of Wisdom? Answers to questions like these are beautifully on display in this...
God is Emptiness, Emptiness is God: Thoughts on God Attachment
By David Jones It's no secret I believe in God. Brad Warner wrote that he and Zen masters he's talked to believe in God. Thich Nhat Hanh did too. I think many Buddhists do, but they'd never use the loaded word "God." It's not that Buddhists say The Ultimate or...
A Buddhist that Chose to Fight
By David Jones When I became old enough to be drafted, I quickly filed a Conscientious Objector form. I believed war and killing were against the message Jesus brought to us, and at the time I felt ready to go to jail if the alternative was to go to battle. I...
Killing Our Attachments
By David Jones Let's take a brief look into two verses from the Dhammapada. I call my process The 3 Pass Method. The first pass is reading the text just to focus on the writer's words. The second pass involves our research to figure out what the writer meant at...
What My Teacher Taught Me: Dreams as Teachers {series}
By David Jones So I had a teaching dream, and it was my waking self's job to suss out the lesson it contained. I know some folks dismiss dreams and their interpretations as complete bunk. But in my experience, even if breathing water sounds ridiculous to a...
Thich Nhat Hanh Taught Me We are All Waves in the Ocean
By David Jones It was a busy work day, trying to fill requests for records from folks who want to come to the US. It's an honor to help others in their quest, and even with all the agitation we have in this country, people still want to come. Then my phone...
8 Lessons Hanukkah Teaches Us Right Now
By David Jones Hanukkah, like all human holy days and traditional observances, has a rich backstory and plenty of historical meaning. You can find plenty to read online. It's a religious festival of a religious people, but it doesn't have to remain a...
Another Look at the Dragon King’s Daughter
By David Jones As I try to accumulate wisdom from the many Wisdom Traditions, I have a strategy for tackling texts. I try to honor the words as well as the writer first by simply meeting the words where they are. Once I think I've got that, then I try to start...