The most recent advance praise for Healing with the Seven Principles of Mindfulness states, “Cancer is like enlightenment at gunpoint.” The author of this praise is the 95 year old world renowned dancer, performer, and teacher, Anna Halprin and a great friend of mine. I am a cancer survivor, so what I have to share […]
The Wisdom of Self-Compassion
December 17, 2015 by
The wisdom of self-compassion is one of the most vibrant teachings of our times. We may find it quite easy to be compassionate with other people when they hurt themselves or feel sad or lonely. When it comes to compassion in own life, we often fail to grasp the concept and fail to believe the […]
Being and Non-Being
December 16, 2015 by Leave a Comment
We join spokes together in a wheel, but it is the center hole that makes the wagon move. We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want. We hammer wood for a house, but it is the inner space that makes it livable. We work with being, […]
Love Is All Around
December 16, 2015 by
During the Holiday Season and the time of the Winter Solstice, we need to be assured that love is all around. Take a look at the couple in the photograph below. Love is all around them as the look out across San Francisco Bay on a beautiful October evening, being aware of only each other, […]
Watering the Seeds of Loving Kindness
December 15, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Watering the Seedlings of Intention Metta practice is the cultivation of our capacity for lovingkindness. It does not involve either positive thinking or the imposition of an artificial positive attitude. . . . Rather, we meditate on our good intentions, however weak or strong they may be, and water the seeds of these intentions. —Barry […]
Change what We Can
December 15, 2015 by
Both Marty Rossman in his book, The Worry Solution and Lissa Rankin in her Daily Flame for your inner pilot light teach us to change what we can and not worry about things we cannot change. Lissa writes, Dear Jerome, The world is full of people trying to change the things they can’t, and not […]
The Paris Agreement…
December 14, 2015 by
The Paris agreement on climate change has produced a few results – some remarkable and some not so great. Scientists and climate action groups such as the Buddhist Climate Action Network (BCAN) and Earth Holding Sangha have been pushing for no more than a 1.5° centigrade increase over the pre-industrial levels. The agreement stated, “Holding […]
My Life with Thay
December 11, 2015 by
My life with Thay (Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh) began in a small church in Berkeley, California in 1984. By some strange coincidence, I happened to sit next to him is the second row before he was introduced to speak. I became a solo practitioner in Thay’s tradition on that day. I was shy and […]
Always compassionate,
December 10, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Next time someone pisses you off, try this. Pay attention not to what that person is saying or doing, but to the cry for help screaming underneath the surface. Is she lonely? Does he lack confidence? Is she jealous because she questions her own worth? Is he worried you’ll withdraw your love? Is she threatened […]
PRACTICE BEING COURAGEOUS
December 10, 2015 by Leave a Comment
“Don’t get me wrong: fear can be a good thing, and there’s no way you can eliminate it from your life. In fact, eliminating fear from your life is a lie, or it’s a mental illness. That’s it, nothing more. Anyone who says they don’t feel fear is a liar. Guys who say they don’t […]
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