The Putin in All of Us The black, rather ugly bug is crawling across my wall.  Its not harming anyone, but I know that I won’t be able to do anything – sit, read, eat, or sleep – until I get rid of this bug.  It’s just how I am.  I have never been able to make peace with even the tiniest of bugs in my home.  I’ve tried, but I lose all productivity for not just that day, but many days after, wondering where it might be.  Once I even found myself sleeping in my car because a big, hairy caterpillar scampered out of reach and I was afraid it would make its way to my bed ..read more

How Ouija Boards work I know there are many gullible people in this world.  I think I first realized this when I heard of a phenomenon called the Pet Rock.  My fellow dinosaurs who live in the US will know what I’m referring to, but for the young’uns out there, people not living in the US, or those who’ve been hiding under a rock that was not a pet (pun intended), let me explain to you what the Pet Rock was. The Pet Rock craze was one of the most insane I have ever witnessed.  Not just because of the number of people who were buying them up, but because the Pet Rock had to ..read more

The Beauty and Necessity of Optimistic Nihilism It’s holiday season again, replete with carols, fruitcakes, raindrops on roses, and visits from grumpy uncle Jarvis. Mostly, it’s a happy time, yes, but as many of us have experienced, also a potential occasion for depression and sadness.  For some of us, it’s due to loneliness, or dysfunctional families, or disillusionment with rampant materialism, or wondering where the year went with nothing accomplished.  Remedies such as New Years resolutions, or donating to the less fortunate, or volunteering, or visiting family more, or visiti ..read more

UnGodly God People and Closet Agnostics Many theists are kind, compassionate people who live up to their religious beliefs and embody that which they preach.  They appear genuine in their intentions and convictions.  Their hallelujas don’t sound so phony. Then there are the other, more questionable kinds.  Of which there are aplenty as well, unfortunately. Of course the most notorious type of aberrant theist is one that has been present for centuries – the extremist who twists religion for their own convenience and commits unspeakable acts of horror in God’s name.  This r ..read more

Test This is a test post The post Test appeared first on 3 Chips on God ..read more

Is Free Will a contradiction to Enlightenment? The concept of non-duality and there not being a separate ego has become mainstream in recent times.  It has been popularized by great thinkers such as Eckhart Tolle, Chopra Oprah, and the like.  I do get it – yes, we are not our physical bodies or our current avatar or identity.  We are souls.  We are consciousness.  Brangelina was never real in multiple ways. Buddhism’s Four Noble Truths and the application of our own common sense tell us that attachment and desire are the root of all suffering.  It’s an oxymoron ..read more

Monkhood or Money? Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy McMansions and IThings as much as the next person.  Maybe even more.  My family often compares me to a cat, because I’m always lying around lazily in the sun, usually with some chocolate and a good book.  My ideal vacation is one involving tropical beaches, massages, spas, luxury hotels, and gourmet cuisine. Ironically it also includes a personal trainer who I then pay to make me get up and exercise off the excessive leisure and calorie consumption.  I’m certainly not a minimalist when it comes to enjoying life. But there ..read more

Party Poopers who don’t care about Heaven Avowed atheist, the former Christopher Hitchens, often accused theists of wanting to believe in a Heaven because they want “the party to go on”.  (Christopher Hitchens was this scary man with a deep voice who always reminded me of my Dad when he gets really angry and I am in big trouble.) Hitchens compared religious references of Heaven to a never-ending party because he felt that people were afraid of no longer existing after they die, of losing their identity or connection to loved ones.  They want to imagine some kind of world where they ..read more

Is How we Fight Reflective of Enlightenment? Fighting with family, friends, and colleagues is inevitable, at least to some degree.  My two brothers, for example, can be annoying and often wrong and it’s my sacred duty as their brilliant older sister to set them straight as much as possible.  We clash even more because instead of appreciating the precious pearls of wisdom they are privileged to receive, they call me mean and untrue words like bossy.  Obviously when they’re being such babies it’s going to cause a fight, isn’t it? Their whininess aside, other people can also s ..read more

What is your Happy Graph? Buddhism’s Four Noble Truths do a brilliant job of explaining the root cause of suffering as attachment to one’s desires, as follows: All of life is suffering Suffering comes from attachment The end of suffering can come from letting go of attachments The Eightfold path (such as right actions and words) is the way to letting go Letting go of one’s attachments – or DETACHMENT – is not an easy feat, however.  And each of the eight steps can take a lifetime to master.  But before any of that is attempted, one needs to start by getting on board with the fir ..read more