Another means for working with difficulties is called Enacting It Mindfully. Let’s face it, we act out most of our desires anyway. In this way,…
Spiritual Awakening is found in the here and now. In the Zen tradition they say, “After the ecstasy, the laundry.” Spiritual maturity manifests itself in…
“Teach us to care and not to care.” ~T.S. Elliot If you tell a Zen master everything is like a dream, she will take her…
The saints are what they are, not because their sanctity makes them admirable to others, but because the gift of sainthood makes it possible…
“The emergence and blossoming of understanding, love and intelligence has nothing to do with any tradition – no matter how ancient or impressive – it…
“Who are we, really?” the Zen koans demand, “Who is dragging this body around?” or “What was your original face before your parents were born?”…
Let us consider the unbounded sky or mirror-like nature of consciousness. We need to be practical. Our first task is to learn to distinguish the…
(Read Part One of Finding Refuge) Traditionally, there are three levels of Buddhist refuge, outer, inner and innermost. On the outer level, we take refuge…
When I first took robes and entered the monastic community of Ajahn Chah, I had already been practicing meditation for two years. Now, sitting…
When dealing with the humanness and the complexity of teachers, it is helpful to keep a few other principles in mind. One is called take…
One of the world’s greatest examples of how to survive difficult times is Nelson Mandela, the first president of modern South Africa. After twenty-seven years…
Behind all the drama of our lives, there is something unchanging and ever-present, for everyone to discover. Our methods and practices point us in the…
