The World We Have

A we approach Christmas time it is important to examine the world we have right now. Our world is full of political unrest, racial, economic and gender inequality, reliance on fossil fuels, climate and forest degradation, and over consumption. How do we cope with such inequities at a time when we are singing, “Joy to […]

Be Willing to Love

These words of wisdom from Jack Kronfield teach us to be willing to love and to stay present. These are the two freedoms that we have, regardless of our situation. If we are willing to let love in our hearts, we can connect with the beauty of life around us and connect with other people. […]

In Greed We Trust

Our global economy seems to be rooted in greed. It seems that the United State dollar bill should read, “In Greed We Trust.” There is no more trust in god, a supreme being, the creator of all there is, or our very own buddhanature. We seem to be consumed by greed. We can begin almost […]

Mindful Reframing

The art of mindful reframing is an important aspect of mindfulness practice. It allows us to embrace our suffering by looking deeply into the causes and conditions of our situation. We examine our suffering in the light of our loving connected presence or self-kindness, interbeing, and mindfulness. These are the elements of self-compassion as taught […]

Challenges are Clues

Challenges are clues that there is some suffering in our lives that we are not addressing properly. It may relate to our health, or wealth, or our general well-being. The way around them is to look deeply into our hearts and recognize the challenges for what they are. This way, we can apply our mindfulness […]

Always Interdependent with Nature

When I first read Naomi Klein‘s interview in Tricycle Magazine, I was stunned by the radical nature of her statement about global capitalism. On second thought, I recognized that she was actually talking about how we are always interdependent with nature. She was expressing the idea that we cannot get away from nature, no matter […]

Celebrate the International Day of Peace

I invite you to celebrate the International Day of Peace with me today, September 21, 2015. The UN has dedicated the 2015 International Day of Peace to “Partnerships for Peace — Dignity for All.” In conjunction with Pope Francis‘ visit to the United States to speak with President Obama tomorrow, deliver a climate message to […]

Go For It!

In these words of wisdom, Nisargadatta Maharaj tells us to “Go for it resolutely.” What is he talking about? He is talking about self-realization which means that you no longer identify completely with yourself! You realize the insight of interbeing and identify with all life and everything that is. Your recognize the interconnectedness of all […]

Meant to Answer God’s Call

I just received this beautiful prayer by Archbishop Desmond Tutu from Lama Surya Das. If you don’t believe in God, you can substitute words like buddhanature, the cosmos, the universe, or the higher power. In any case, we are called into the midst of human suffering. This is the role of the bodhisattva – to […]

The Fear Cure

On Thursday evening June 18, I went to hear Dr. Lissa Rankin, MD talk about The Fear Cure, her new bestseller book. As she was attending to patients who wrote their own prescriptions according to the formula in Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself were often afraid to implement their plans. […]