The Importance of Gratitude

If you have been following this blog for very long, you know that one of the main teachings here is the importance of gratitude. You may recall that as my children were growing up, my wife used to say to them when they wanted something they couldn’t or shouldn’t have, “To desire what you don’t […]

The Importance of Love

The following invocation is an expression of the importance love and gratitude. We chant this at the beginning of our Mindfulness In Healing meditation group on Wednesday evenings: This life is the gift of the whole universe: the earth, the sky, and many generations. May be live in mindfulness in order to enjoy the wonders […]

Is Buddhism a Religion?

In the March 2018 issue of Lion’s Roar magazine, there is a very interesting discussion on “Is Buddhism a religion.” I am presenting these arguments because I am a Buddhist and have two religious brothers who are orthodox Jews. I am also curios to hear whether you would consider the Plum Village tradition of Zen […]

Lights in the Dark

Paul Tingen, a fellow Order of Interbeing Member in the Plum Village Tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh has made this wonderful offering of music which he calls “Light in the Dark.” It is an acoustic guitar rendition to the tune of Leonard Cohen‘s Hallelujah. Paul hopes that we keep in mind the lessons […]

Full Connection Meditation

This Full Connection Meditation came to me from Lama Surya Das, with love and blessings. It came on a day in which three other quotes on love from Ram Das, Martha Beck and David Brazier. Click on the links to check them out! The mind is not always The best neighborhood to live in. For […]

Lesson On Gratitude from Louise Hay

This lesson on gratitude from Louise Hay is right in line with my practice and my teachings. This excerpt came in my email today. Enjoy! I have noticed that the Universe loves gratitude. The more grateful you are, the more goodies you get. When I say “goodies,” I don’t mean only material things. I mean […]

9 Minutes of Mindfulness a Day…

9 minutes of mindfulness a day can help you in so many ways reports the Harvard Business Review. The article is called “Spending 10 Minutes a Day on Mindfulness Subtly Changes the Way You React to Everything,” but don’t chide me for the extra minute. I have been spouting 9 minutes of mindfulness a day […]

The Zen Teachings of Bagger Vance

A few nights ago, we re-watched The Legend of Bagger Vance in which Rannulph Junuh, played by Matt Damon learns the Zen teachings of Bagger Vance, played by Will Smith. Junuh is in a golf tournament with two top players in Savannah, Georgia and has fallen 12 stokes behind. Bagger Vance gives Junuh the following […]

Daraja – the Bridge to Reducing Climate Change

Tuesday night I witnessed something very moving that has a great effect on reversing climate change. As I reported before, Paul Hawken’s book, Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming, reports that the sixth and seventh most promising solutions to climate change are respectively, Educating Women and Family Planning. Together, these […]

Practice Kindness

One of the many things that you can do for your happiness and the happiness of others is to practice kindness. Kindness has the capacity to spread like wildfire. If you are kind to the grocery clerk who checked you out, he or she will be kind to the rest of the people she serves […]