Legal problems tend to involve life situations that may prompt examination of the past and fears about the future. In particular, one may begin to examine his or her role in bringing about the current situation a s a result of past actions and/or decisions. He or she may also worry about how the future […]
Category: Holistic Philosophy
The first noble truth in Buddhist philosophy is that life includes dukkha which is roughly translated from Pali by contemporary scholars as a sense of “unsatisfactoriness.” From an evolutionary standpoint, being “wired” with this sensitivity makes sense as an internal motivator for humans to venture out into their environments seeking food, shelter, procreation, etc. One […]
Mindfulness and meditation free us from the narrow judgments and limited thoughts associated with ego, connecting us instead to boundless experience that we call “life.” Some people believe that this transcendent experience can arise only in the presence of very specific conditions, or when engaged in particularly “spiritual” activities. In reality, the opening of the […]
When distilled to their roots, most legal problems, both civil and criminal, can be traced to thought-driven ideas of what one needs to obtain, achieve, realize, etc. in the future in order to be “happy” (and associated fear of what one thinks may happen if one fails to make the future conform to these ideals), […]
Almost by definition, involvement with our civil justice system presupposes the occurrence of some event perceptively violative of one’s conditioned notions of “right” and “wrong” behavior. Such circumstances can easily serve to trigger habitual reactions towards “unfairness” that may stem from early life experiences and conditioning. It is such conditioning that may cumulatively come to […]
Through the cultivation of mindful attention to present-moment experience, we can begin to sense an inner peace grounded in being, apart from our thoughts, learned conditioning and habitual reactions. Initially this discovery of inner peace unconnected to external stimuli can feel extraordinarily liberating to those who have been mired in self-judgement, critical thought, delusion, craving, […]
In an industry as shrouded in mystery and misinformation as the legal industry, most anything out of the ordinary is met with a fair amount of skepticism. The public is confused enough when trying to define a “lawyer” versus “attorney” or “esquire.” When I introduce the concept of “holistic lawyer” to people, usually it is […]
Whether dealing with marital difficulties, financial stressors, problems in the workplace, etc., individuals seeking legal assistance are often feeling threatened and insecure. Often these individuals are grappling with fear that can often trigger habitual, defensive reactions that cloud decision-making when clarity is most needed. Such defensive reactions are of little surprise when considering the extent […]
Having lived in an area of Oakland, California for nearly ten years that is plagued with homelessness, graffiti, illegal dumping, and other manifestations of urban malaise, my ability to accept situations around me and embrace all others with compassion is challenged on a daily basis. So much of the behavior on the streets surrounding our […]
The starting point for optimal conflict resolution is the ability to meaningfully connect to present-moment experience. This ability requires a high degree of consciousness able to not get caught in ego-driven thoughts of how things “should be,” ways in which things are “wrong,” and similar judgements. In the absence of this connection to present-moment experience, […]