Rumi’s Teacher
The great Persian poet Rumi had an extraordinary teacher named Shams. Even as a child Shams seemed different. His own parents struggled with whether to...
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Heaven & Hell
A big, tough samurai once went to see a little monk. “Monk,” he said, in a voice accustomed to instant obedience, “teach me about heaven...
Water Into Wine
A century ago, a young student at the great Oxford University in England was taking an important examination in religious studies. The examination question for...
Forgiveness & Kind Intention
In the mandala of wholeness we are called to the practice of forgiveness. We must especially find a forgiving heart with family and those close...
Healthy Desire
Buddhist psychology teaches us to distinguish between the painful desire of addiction and driven ambition and the healthy energies of dedication and commitment. A dream...
The Mind and the Heart
The “Jewel in the Lotus” is the translation of the universal compassion mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum.” While it has many meanings, one explanation of...
Spiritual Life Takes Courage
Equanimity is not indifference, and compassion is not pity. True spirituality requires us to be fully present for life. For us to begin to look...
Awareness of the Dance
At times in intensive spiritual training, or in extreme or accidental circumstances, powerful altered states and energetic processes can emerge. We may become frightened by...
The Factors of Enlightenment
One of the clearest and most useful ways to describe practice is in the terms of the seven factors of enlightenment. These are the natural...
The Gates of Awakening
Every spiritual tradition has stories of those who have awakened from their usual dreamlike state to a sacred way of being. Through initiation, purification, or...
Mindfulness As Fearless Presence
The art of living is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each...
Awakening Inner Wisdom to Navigate Through Difficult Times
by Diane Williams When the path ahead is unknown and may even appear menacing, how do we move forward with courage? Is it possible not...
