Category Archives: Philosophy

Vastness, Not Holiness

Posted on February 13, 2014 by lion

One of the zen stories most often cited by my Zen Master was “Vastness, Not Holiness”. He would often speak of his experiences back country skiing as an activity that drives this story home. It was standing in the midst … Continue reading →

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I Want To Be A Gardener

Posted on September 20, 2013 by lion

I’ve made a lot of mistakes in love and relationships. I’ve caused and felt more than enough suffering. When a relationship is in termoil, or terminates, it can feel like the end of the world, but it’s actually just the … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Philosophy, Poetry | Leave a comment

On Place and Belonging

Posted on June 3, 2013 by lion

For most of my life I was very opinionated about place. For a while I was like “I have to live in SF, I could never live in LA.” Later I was like “I have to live in Saigon, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Philosophy, Travel | 2 Comments

On Feeling Bad

Posted on March 13, 2013 by lion

It is hard to keep balance in life while trying to meet all expectations; Disappointment and sadness are inevitable when we overextend and probable even when we don’t. I wish I were better at life and responsible for less suffering; … Continue reading →

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The Professional Designer

Posted on January 13, 2013 by lion

A Human Endeavor Design is about providing solutions to problems. When I talk to engineers they say: “that sounds just like engineering” and when I talk to marketers they say “that sounds just like marketing”. There is indeed a lot … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Design, Game Dev, Philosophy, Shugyo | 9 Comments

Note to Self…

Posted on September 20, 2012 by lion

Stop trying to invent yourself as a creative genius and start thinking of yourself as a competent craftsman!   In my own journey as a game designer I frequently find myself not exploring an idea because it isn’t cleaver enough or original … Continue reading →

Posted in Game Dev, Philosophy | 1 Comment

What’s The Point of Zen?

Posted on May 24, 2012 by lion

A lot of people have misconceptions about the point of Buddhism or Zen — including things like achieving happiness, good health, outstanding moral character, relaxation, serenity, or the ability to shoot laser beams from your eyes. These things may be side … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Shugyo | 3 Comments

The Basics of Scrum

Posted on April 23, 2012 by lion

I’ve personally been interested in various production methodologies since about 2005. The two that have been the most interesting to me are The Cerny Method and Scrum. Gameloft recently gave me an opportunity to participate in a Scrum Master certification … Continue reading →

Posted in Game Dev, Philosophy | 2 Comments

The Culture Wars Won’t End Soon

Posted on April 21, 2012 by lion

Culture wars. The red/blue one in the USA is well known but even socialist countries have them. I don’t think they’re going to go away anytime soon. I will support this thesis with two arguments: history and the Threefold Truth … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Politics | 6 Comments

Concentration and Awareness in Buddhist Meditation

Posted on April 20, 2012 by lion

While trying to make a point about omnicentric value paradox on facebook I did a Wikipedia search on Tientai Buddhism and came across a term I had never seen before. Tiantai emphasizes Å›amatha and vipaÅ›yanā meditation. In fourteen years of … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Shugyo | 7 Comments