Tom Colvin
@themindfulstate.bsky.social
Professional: Aerospace PhD. Technology, Policy, and Strategy. Former NASA. Former support to White House.
Personal: Buddhism. Space. Tech. Economics. Society. The State.
Hoping to write here someday:
https://themindfulstate.substack.com
Personal: Buddhism. Space. Tech. Economics. Society. The State.
Hoping to write here someday:
https://themindfulstate.substack.com
Pinned
Join me on my journey as I explore Buddhist approaches to technology, society, and government. I will tend to focus on early Buddhism, since that aligns with my practice, and will frequently discuss issues related to space technology and exploration, since that aligns with my profession.
Though a joke, it cuts close to the bone. What defines wrong livelihood in modern society? How do we know if we’re engaged in it? #Buddhism
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/i-w...
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/i-w...
I Work For an Evil Company, but Outside Work, I’m Actually a Really Good Person
I love my job. I make a great salary, there’s a clear path to promotion, and a never-ending supply of cold brew in the office. And even though my j...
www.mcsweeneys.net
November 30, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Though a joke, it cuts close to the bone. What defines wrong livelihood in modern society? How do we know if we’re engaged in it? #Buddhism
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/i-w...
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/i-w...
Ceremonies are to time, what home is to space.
November 15, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Ceremonies are to time, what home is to space.
Currently reading Seeds of Peace: A Buddhist Vision For Renewing Society by Sulak Sivaraksa from 1992. Hoping to learn more about the giants of Engaged Buddhism. I’m thinking I might live-skeet the book. Do people do that? Live-skeet books? I’m gonna do it.
October 23, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Currently reading Seeds of Peace: A Buddhist Vision For Renewing Society by Sulak Sivaraksa from 1992. Hoping to learn more about the giants of Engaged Buddhism. I’m thinking I might live-skeet the book. Do people do that? Live-skeet books? I’m gonna do it.
Too many people argue that anattā (not-self) is a critique of ātman. Whether true or not, talking about how the Buddha might have been responding to Brahmanism 2500 years ago is not a fruitful line of thought if we fail to grasp that anattā is directly applicable to our lives in the present moment.
October 10, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Too many people argue that anattā (not-self) is a critique of ātman. Whether true or not, talking about how the Buddha might have been responding to Brahmanism 2500 years ago is not a fruitful line of thought if we fail to grasp that anattā is directly applicable to our lives in the present moment.
Reposted by Tom Colvin
So about this fresh horror, I wanted to explain a little bit about the "ordination" of trees and the like, given that they're now "ordaining" AI agents. Speaking as someone who both is ordained and has ordained trees.
I think there's a lot that's pretty neat about LLM technology. I think there's a lot that very neat about Buddhism. But this is stupid. Both in a Buddhist sense, and in an "understanding what LLM technology is" sense. tricycle.org/magazine/ai-...
August 9, 2025 at 9:37 PM
So about this fresh horror, I wanted to explain a little bit about the "ordination" of trees and the like, given that they're now "ordaining" AI agents. Speaking as someone who both is ordained and has ordained trees.
It’s important to not know how things will turn out. If you think things will go well, you may get complacent and not provide enough effort. If you think things will go poorly, you may get demotivated and give up. To achieve success, some uncertainty is best.
August 1, 2025 at 11:23 PM
It’s important to not know how things will turn out. If you think things will go well, you may get complacent and not provide enough effort. If you think things will go poorly, you may get demotivated and give up. To achieve success, some uncertainty is best.
Equanimity, accepting things as they are and being unmoved by them, is the final thing that the Buddha recommends be developed. First, we have to put in lots of active effort to find what works. If you start off by just accepting things as they are, that’s unhealthy. #Buddhism #Mindfulness
February 4, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Equanimity, accepting things as they are and being unmoved by them, is the final thing that the Buddha recommends be developed. First, we have to put in lots of active effort to find what works. If you start off by just accepting things as they are, that’s unhealthy. #Buddhism #Mindfulness
Join me on my journey as I explore Buddhist approaches to technology, society, and government. I will tend to focus on early Buddhism, since that aligns with my practice, and will frequently discuss issues related to space technology and exploration, since that aligns with my profession.
February 2, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Join me on my journey as I explore Buddhist approaches to technology, society, and government. I will tend to focus on early Buddhism, since that aligns with my practice, and will frequently discuss issues related to space technology and exploration, since that aligns with my profession.
I’ve been mulling the idea of a Substack or podcast for two years now. Have some posts written and others in progress. I work in the space sector and do analysis and write big reports, so I figured writing “for fun” would be easy. Frankly, writing for fun is harder than writing professionally.
February 2, 2025 at 10:32 PM
I’ve been mulling the idea of a Substack or podcast for two years now. Have some posts written and others in progress. I work in the space sector and do analysis and write big reports, so I figured writing “for fun” would be easy. Frankly, writing for fun is harder than writing professionally.