Holly has bonded her spirituality to her activism. She began her relationship with Buddhism through Fo Guang Shan, an international Chinese Mahāyāna Buddhist organization and monastic order based in Taiwan that practices Humanistic Buddhism. However, she finds herself more aligned with Stephen Batchelor’s more secular Buddhism currently. Holly works in homeless services and is very passionate about promoting the inherent worth and dignity of all people as well as eliminating stigma about homelessness and behavioral health.
James Taylor Made Me Do It
By Holly Herring I’ve always considered James Taylor a good friend of mine. I’ve never met him, I've never seen him perform live, and I’m not related to him. But he has that one song, You’ve Got a Friend. Have you heard it? I got my introduction to Buddhism...
Thank you for Calling Tech Support, How Can I Help you?
By Holly Herring I was talking to this guy once who came from another faith than me. He was having a minor crisis, not about his faith, but about his family. He set about describing to me how he viewed his relationship with his creator. He said that it...
The Lunch Lady is Real and the Buddha is Too
It was about time I contemplated the Buddha on his lotus in that far away Nirvana land. Who was that guy really? I heard he was a prince or some kind of royalty. Sure, I followed him in spirituality but he was like my mother the Queen and the lunch lady – out of reach. I had to make the Buddha real somehow. I knew I would have a better relationship with this guy if he was human, just like me.
I Tried to Cheat on an Interview
By Holly Herring I have this habit of scaring the living daylights out of myself. There’s this responsible, conservative way of going about things that is almost certain to go okay---then there’s what I do. I live my life like one of those high risk, high...
Trauma is in Our Genes: Compassion for the Vulnerable
By Holly Herring I was recently involved in a discussion about a new emergency homeless shelter that is going to open. I was relieved to hear that the city had interviewed local experts on homelessness before completing the shelter design. Those experts are...
And They All Lived Happily Ever After
By Holly Herring I got a puppy about a year and a half ago. She’s made of drool and puppy farts. She’s insanely happy and full of life. She lights up rooms. This is a really joy inducing addition to the family. I have to tell you, though, it’s been a real...
Take Your Bodhisattva to Work Day
By Holly Herring I have been told that I have a way of explaining complicated things in ways that are easy to understand. I think that comes from the way I use my imagination. I have imaginary people and things that I use to help me get through situations. I...
Social Justice as Self Help
Is it possible that we have overlooked social justice as self help? What if becoming a better person yourself could be rooted in smashing the patriarchy, creating safe and inclusive spaces, changing all that all pervasive heteronormative imagery, and asking what you can do for your neighbors that are struggling. Maybe some of that damage we need all these self help books to “fix”, has been imposed by racism, classism, sexism, and all sorts of other -isms.
We Don’t Set Out to Save the World
By Holly Herring I have an issue; it’s with people. Don’t get me wrong, I love people! I really do. I have never been so happy with my employment than I have been since I started providing direct services to people who live outside. People are complex...
Attachment and “What If?”
I recently moved to a different state. It was a decision made not with joy and not to a reunion with loved ones, not a return to “home”. No, this was me moving away from everything I had built for myself.