In today’s lesson, we learn some of the teachings of the Buddha that have come to me from generous dharma teachers, Zen masters, and other resources. The first is from Roshi Joan Halifax: What the Buddha Taught The Buddha taught that we should practice helping others while cultivating deep concentration, compassion, and wisdom. He further […]
Mindful Reframing
October 16, 2015 by
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 […]
Genes do not Necessarily Determine Behavior
October 15, 2015 by
In this quote from Richie Davidson, we learn that genes do not necessarily determine behavior. They are like a switch that can be turned on and off, depending on causes and conditions in our lives. “These were the first hints that our emotional and psychological fate does not lie solely within the twists of the […]
Awareness Arises Naturally
October 14, 2015 by Leave a Comment
yada “In a Zen retreat we have a format for working with these quicksilver changes: we sit with them, we pay attention to them… Being steady with mindfulness as an anchor for all the changes we go through is the way we practice forbearance. And you can employ this same method anywhere anytime: just pay […]
Cultivate the Present
October 12, 2015 by Leave a Comment
When you cultivate presence, you’ll hear my voice more clearly. What do I mean by that? Notice the flower, but don’t assign a value judgment to it by calling it “beautiful.” Notice the icy cold wind but don’t make the weather “bad.” Notice the ache in your heart but don’t make the heartache wrong. […]
Sensory Food
October 12, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Sensory food “Sensory food is what we take in with our senses and our mind—everything we see, smell, touch, taste, and hear. External noise falls into this category, such as conversations, entertainment, and music. What we read and the information we absorb is also sensory food. Perhaps even more than edible food, the sensory food […]
The Secret of the Spiritual Path
October 12, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Extending Arms and Hearts When we talk of the bodhisattva vow in Buddhism, we talk about extending our arms and our hearts outward, about reaching out to the whole world and embracing all, without exception. We talk about truly seeing the ones standing before us and loving them deeply, just as they are, with […]
I Am Not I
October 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment
I am not I. I am the one who walks beside me that I cannot see. And the one whom at times I manage to visit. And the one whom at times I forget. And the one who remains calm and silent while I talk. And the one who forgives gently when I move into […]
The Force of Love
October 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment
yada The Force of Love The extraordinary thing about the cultivation of metta [lovingkindness], as opposed to Christian ideas of love, is that it is a transpersonal force. When you concentrate on transmitting metta, it’s like you’re not actually doing it, you’re just opening yourself up to this field of potential sympathy that exists between […]
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