Ty Phillips is one of the co-founders of The Tattooed Buddha. He is a father, writer, photographer and nature-lover. A lineage in the Celtic Buddhism tradition, he makes attempts to unite Anglican and Buddhist teachings in a way unique and useful to those around him. Ty has contributed to The Good Men Project, Rebelle, BeliefNet, Patheos and The Petoskey News. He is a long term Buddhist and a father to three amazing girls and a tiny dog named Fuzz. You can see his writing at The Good Men Project, BeliefNet, Rebelle Society.
Zen Master Yunmen: His Life and Essential Sayings {Book Review}
By Ty Phillips How does one accurately describe the nature of Zen? We can, of course, delve into its origination in China as the great Chan tradition, the influential patriarchs, its migration into Korea, Vietnam and Japan and the...
Zen in the Age of Anxiety {Book Review}
By Ty Phillips As an avid reader, both of Buddhist texts and popular science books, things can tend to blur together. My personal library is tipping over 1000 books, and a third of these are on Buddhist teaching and history. It is a rare...
I Have a Chronic Illness (Again) & This is How I am Dealing with It
By Ty H. Phillips In 2010 I was diagnosed with severe heart failure. This is no secret. I have written about it and its attendant anxiety ad nauseum over the past several years. I have also written about my recovery, my struggles my ups...
The Mindfulness in Plain English Collection {Book Review}
By Ty H. Phillips What is mindfulness? What is the truth behind this trending word and movement? Bhante Guranatana has been a leading and pioneering voice for decades on what this truly is and means. His series of writings, presented...
Freedom From Suffering
By Ty H. Phillips I step outside and breathe in the cold March air. I look down at the orange laces on my Aquaman Chuck Taylor’s, heave a sigh, and begin walking. This is my third 10 minute walk of the day. I take these as often as I...
Living & Dying with Confidence {Book Review}
By Ty H. Phillips The truth of suffering. When taken alone, it seems nihilistic. It is absolutely simple and true and yet, something we kick and scream against at all times. I became intimately aware of this reality in mid 2011. It was,...
What is Right View in Buddhism? {The Eightfold Path}
By Ty H. Phillips What is Buddhism? There are probably as many answers to that question as there are people and personalities who follow the path. For some, it is a faith, to others a religion. To others still, it is a philosophy---a...
Change Must Come from the Bottom—Be a Light
By Ty H. Phillips The snow falls gently on hard worn city streets and the light of city lamps dance on the white blanket of cold winter. Small and dirty faces peek out from behind dumpsters and bodies shiver from hunger and cold, while...
This is What it Feels Like to be a Grown Man with Anxiety
By Ty H. Phillips I have anxiety. I want to tell you that it does not define me but I can’t. It is the anxiety, not me, that decides when I leave the house when I am able to work, when and how much I am able to eat, who I can see, who I can...
The Choice to be a Survivor, Not a Victim
By Ty H. Phillips I’ve always wanted to start an article with Jack Nicholson’s line from Batman; "I was sitting in the bath one day when I realized why I was destined for greatness.” Alas, aside from the mention of it, I cannot. I can however start it with, I...
The Middle Way Between Warrior & Priest
By Ty H. Phillips I tend to be a person of extremes. I can’t remember a time where I felt truly balanced---a time when a middle path was truly a middle path. I am an all or nothing type and in some ways this has helped me succeed and achieve, and in...
My Guru is Only 6 Years Old
By Ty H. Phillips I am going to make the assumption that we have all heard the saying, “out of the mouths of babes..” Of course this is not referring to beautiful women, but rather children. We hear truths from them because they just speak, often without...
Milarepa-Lessons from the Life and Songs of Tibet’s Great Yogi {Book Review}
By Ty H. Phillips “It could manifest and grow like seeds planted throughout your life, so that life itself becomes the guru. The idea is that life becomes the teacher all the time. This seems to be one of the very important messages of Milarepa’s life.”...
Connecting with the Naga: Serpents on the Path
By Ty H Phillips I sat on the green iron bench watching the cotton wood puffs float and flitter around the playground as children skip and laugh and climb over the three story playground where I take Brynn. Her red hair catching the sun and dancing in...
How to Deal Mindfully When Things Don’t Go as Planned
By Ty H. Phillips Injuries are inherent in sports. At some point, if you play anything from ping pong to powerlifting, you will be faced with a sprain or tear or break of some form. I’ve been fairly lucky. I guess you could say. I’ve not had many severe...