by Jonathan Look | Mar 18, 2014 | Minimalism, On My Mind, Philosophy, Retirement
Living the Dream? Three years ago I was living the classic American Dream. I had a good job, a house in suburbia, a couple of automobiles, a country club membership and a myriad of possessions that I had accumulated over the years. I also had busy work days, a 45-mile...
by Jonathan Look | Mar 17, 2014 | Bhutan, Buddhism, Travel
Photo of Tsa Tsa on a Stupa in Bhutan Tsa tsa are memorials to the dead, molded by monks, that are created from ash collected from funereal cremation pyres. Tsa tsa, a word transliterated from Sanskrit to Tibetan and refers to the miniature Buddha. Tsa tsa are...
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by Jonathan Look | Jan 2, 2014 | Art, Buddhism, Buildings, Photography, Thailand, Travel
What is the White Temple? The White Temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand, known to locals as Wat Rong Khun, is an unconventional, contemporary Buddhist temple designed by local artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. Construction began in 1997 but is ongoing, and the sprawling...
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by Jonathan Look | Dec 30, 2013 | Adventure, Buddhism, People, Photography, Thailand, Travel
Buddhist monks making their morning alms rounds are a common sight of life in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Each day at sunrise my neighborhood comes alive with saffron-robed, shaved headed, monastics roaming the streets and performing the ancient ritual of “begging” for...
by Jonathan Look | Nov 19, 2013 | Adventure, Buddhism, Thailand, Travel, Video
It is hard to believe I have been in Asia for almost a year and have now been privileged to witness two Yee Peng celebrations. Last year I attended the Yeepeng Lanna International festival near Chiang Mai, Thailand which is an amazing spectacle designed largely for...
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by Jonathan Look | Oct 26, 2013 | Buddhism, On My Mind, Philosophy
Personal Freedom Requires Radical Acceptance Last summer I was on a planned trip to the United States for a few weeks and did a lot of thinking about “freedom” and what it really means. Freedom is a word that is very much in your face in the United States of America...
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by Jonathan Look | Sep 17, 2013 | Adventure, Minimalism, Philosophy, Retirement
In the 1890’s Psychologist, William James suggested that time seems to pass faster as we move through adulthood because, “in childhood, experiences are novel and distinct” and as we grow older, “each passing year converts some of this experience into [an] automatic...
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by Jonathan Look | Sep 13, 2013 | Adventure, Buddhism, Cambodia, Travel
You can’t think of Cambodia without thinking of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Angkor Wat including the Angkor complex. The very name stirs up romantic images of 19th-century explorers hacking their way through thick jungle and stumbling upon an ancient lost city or...
