About
The word divergent means for something to be going in a different direction, or things going in separate directions away from the rest. It can also mean thinking divergently, exploring new, creative ways and possibilities that haven’t previously been considered. In terms of separation, that speaks very much to where we are as a society today.
It feels like we are moving further and further away from ourselves rather than closer. Ironically, I think it requires divergent thinking to address these issues, to bring us back to wholeness, and to understand the interconnectedness of our life and environment. That is the basis this blog is built around: ways of coming back to connection with one another and with the world in which we live.
Dharma has many definitions. On a relative level, the Dharma is known as the teachings of the Buddha. But on a more absolute level, the Dharma can just be seen as the way things are.
Divergent Dharma is proxy for thinking and seeing differently. It has always felt like I’ve seen things differently to many of the people around me. It was only when I discovered the teachings of the Buddha that something really landed. I could see that somebody else was seeing the world in the very same way, passed down through generations for thousands of years.
I wanted to create this website because as my spiritual practice has deepened, it has also extended into my general life, my work, and my relationships. I wanted to make a record of the practices, including meditations, contemplations, and applying skilful means to different situations. It can be easy to forget where we’ve come from, so this is a record for myself to look back on and reflect.
What I share here is not the "right" way to do things. The purpose of this website is simply to share what I'm learning, reading, watching, and hearing, and the conversations I'm having. It’s a way of documenting the life of a Western man and his interpretations of the Dharma: his efforts to apply them to daily life by sharing what feels appropriate, what works, and what doesn't.
I am no authoritative figure in Buddhism. I am not a qualified Rinpoche or Lama or anything even close. However, I am a practitioner on the path, practicing the teachings of the Buddha. That, in essence, is why it may be divergent at times. There is no hard manual for me to apply the Dharma to my own life, which is why I am forging my own path.
This website is a way of documenting what that path looks like. If anyone can learn from that and apply what I've done to their own lives, excellent. But even if it just encourages you to apply your own creativity, to figure out your own interpretation of the Dharma, and to ultimately bring you closer to other people, life, and the environment, then that is a worthy endeavour.