Earth Saint Thich Nhat Hanh

These words of wisdom came to me from the Cloud Cottage Community of Mindful Living. These words were written by Joanna Macy, who we wrote about just a few days ago. See, for example, Taking Action For The Benefit Of All Beings. Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the most beloved Buddhist teachers […]

Emptiness, Interbeing And Reality

This video is entitled, “Where Science and Buddhism Meet: Emptiness, Interconnectivity and the Nature of Reality” by Gerald Penilla. I have changed the name to “Emptiness, Interbeing and Reality” to demonstrate the importance of the insights of emptiness and interbeing and how they relate to the nature of reality. If you have followed my rantings […]

Martin Luther King And Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh Were Friends

These words of wisdom were spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King. They come on January 20, 2014, Martin Luther King Day in the United States. It is well known that Dr. Martin Luther King and Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh were friends. In fact, Dr. King nominated Thich Nhat Hanh (known as Thay by his […]

The Third Precious Jewel

These words of wisdom are from my teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, known as Thay by his followers. It is about the third precious jewel of Buddhism, the Sangha. The other two jewels are the Buddha and the Dharma. When a person takes refuge in the three jewels, he or she is declaring his or […]

Wholesome States Of Mind

In my previous post, The Four States of Mind, you’ll find the following quote from Tony Hsieh, founder of Zappos: “Notice when flow happens and change your life to make it happen more.” If you haven’t heard this before, you might think that Tony Hsieh had an original thought. The Buddha taught the same thing. […]

Taking Refuge In Kindness

Taking refuge in kindness is coming home to yourself with a gesture of kindness when you are feeling anxious, lonely, depressed, and down on yourself. Tara Brach teaches us to have a little self-compassion: The way of healing and homecoming begins with what I call “a gesture of kindness.” You might for instance put your […]

How to Train Compassion

This video, Raising Compassion, brings together a diverse group of neuroscientists, mental health professionals, and Buddhist monks in a remarkable exchange between science, art, and contemplative practice. In a series of informal conversations about compassion, initiated by neuroscientist Tania Singer and artist Olafur Eliasson, the protagonists discuss the public perception of compassion, talk about compassion-training […]

The Heart Of Forgiveness

While we are on the subject of forgiveness, I’d like to present what the prominent teacher, Jack Kornfield has to say about the ancient heart of forgiveness. The talk was give at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. The center is run by Dacher Keltner, who was one of the […]

Who Is Somaly Mam?

When Somaly Mam was 12 years old, she was taken from her home in the forests of Cambodia and sold to a brothel. She doesn’t even know her real name or her age. She has trouble sleeping because of the bad dreams she has about the raping. Somehow, she managed to escape and since then, she […]

What Gives Rise To Human Dignity And Nobility?

I just found this interesting book by Venerable Dr. K Sri Dhammananda Thero. He was a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk and scholar in the Theravada tradition who lived between 1919 and  2006. He lived mostly in Malaysia and Singapore. There are many books to his credit. I stumbled across this one titled, “Human Dignity in […]