This post is about what the masters say about the present moment. Walking in nature can easily bring us back to the present moment when we look at the wonders of life in the natural world. Just think for a moment what got you right here, right now – what causes and conditions had to […]
The Importance of Sangha
April 28, 2016 by
Tomorrow, I’m going to the Earth Holder Retreat at the Deer Park Monastery where the importance of sangha in Buddhist practice is realized. The Practicing Pamphlet which I received clearly states, We have come to practice together as a community. We do not encourage isolated practices or solo retreats. We are part of a body […]
Real Meditation
April 27, 2016 by
These words of wisdom about real meditation come from one of the world’s most beloved spiritual teachers – Jiddu Krishnamurti. As a world teacher, he revolutionized the whole subject of real meditation for tens of thousands of people, including me. His words of wisdom have appeared many times in these pages. Real meditation is the […]
Remove the Object Meditation
April 21, 2016 by
This “Remove the Object Meditation” comes from the Buckeye Sangha and Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh from his book, Reconciliation: Healing the Inner Child): Linji, the founder of Zen Buddhism in China, was fond of saying, “remove the object.” The object is the person or situation we’re thinking about, the story. So the practice is […]
Changing the Object
April 19, 2016 by
If you are a meditator, it is important to learn about changing the object of meditation from the story you are stuck in back to you body and feelings. Mark Epstein writes about the Tibetan slogan of “Stopping the wind,” i. e., the stuck story blowing through your mind. Using meditation or therapy to try […]
The Divine Now
April 14, 2016 by
Living life in the divine now, the present moment is taught by all spiritual teachers from all traditions. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh says, “My path is the path of stopping, the path of enjoying the present moment. It is a path where every step brings me back to my true home. It is a […]
Hope, Faith and Love
April 6, 2016 by
This lovely poem on the subject of hope, faith and love came to me from Lama Surya Das and I am truly grateful. It embeds some wonderful teachings about what we can accomplish in our lives, what is true and beautiful and how we are interdependent on others for our happiness. Nothing worth doing is […]
How to Practice Inclusiveness
March 31, 2016 by
Today’s lesson is on how to practice inclusiveness is also from the 21-day Happiness Challenge from Luminita Saviuc, also known as the Purpose Ferry. Our world today is filled with different groups, religions, races, people with a different sexual orientation, and many other categories that keep us separate. When we practice inclusiveness, we allow others […]
Empty of What?
March 30, 2016 by
When Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh talks about the Buddhist concept of emptiness, he always asks the question, “Empty of what?” Much of the time the answer is “Empty of a separate existence.” This means that nothing exists in isolation without interaction with everything else. If something did, we would never be able to access […]
The Top Environmental Problems
March 29, 2016 by
This quote about the top environmental problems was shared to me by my daughter. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately in conjunction with my work with the Buddhist Climate Action Network and the Earth Holder Sangha. I’ve written about the retreat called The Bells of Mindfulness from Mother Earth led by dharma teachers […]
You must be logged in to post a comment.