The Power of Quiet in a Noisy World

We have seen many articles about the power of silence, the power of quiet in a noisy world. See, for example, Entering the Silence, Entering the Silence with Purpose and Maintaining the Silence. When you go to a ten day meditation retreat at one of the meditation centers founded by S. N. Goenka, you remain […]

Your Life Is Your Message

Eknath Easwaran was an Indian spiritual teacher from the last century. He knew Gandhi and was his contemporary. Eknath Easwaran wrote a book about Gandhi called Gandhi the Man: How One Man Changed Himself to Change the World. Gandhi was known for having days of silence. Here is a story about one of those days. […]

Highest Kind of Happiness

These words of wisdom from Shaila Catherine express the highest kind of happiness – the happiness equanimity. Shaila Catherine is the founder and guiding teacher of Insight Meditation South Bay and author of Focused and Fearless: A Meditator’s Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity. What she says about the highest kind of […]

Bodh Gaya

In 1975, I visited Bodh Gaya. My daughter was there in 2011 and did a ten day vipassana retreat in the tradition of S. N. Goenka. Bodh Gaya is the center of Buddhist activity for the whole world. It was the place where the Buddha had his great enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. Check out […]

Equanimity and Wisdom Work Together for a Happy Life

Andrew Olendzki is one of my favorite writers on Buddhism. Together with S. N. Goenka, we learn that equanimity and wisdom work together for a happy life. In the Tricycle article, Andrew says, “Mindfulness is the thin edge of a wedge that, if inserted deeply enough into our minds, will open them to wisdom. Whether […]

What Christianity is Missing

Today is my continuation day! I am celebrating with my wife, son, and daughter. We will spend some of the time in the lovely Napa Valley. Just eleven days ago, my wife and I returned from a wonderful gastronomic tour of the Catalan region of Spain. We spent ten nights in Barcelona, where my other […]

Body Sensations and Vipassana Meditation

Eilona Ariel is a film maker and a vipassana meditator.  She to the ten day vipassana training offered by Goenka in Nepal more than 26 years ago. She decided to make a film about body sensations and vipassana meditation with Ayelet Menahemi. In this Ted Talk held in Jaffa, Israel in 2013, she explains about […]